About That Time
by LysCat
Summary: Things work a little differently than they did on the show once Elijah is un-daggered. Set after Elijah rescues Elena from Rebekah's attempt to kill her. Elena and Elijah learn that one afternoon together can change things in more ways than once thought.
1. Chapter 1

Title: About That Time...

Author: Alysia

Couple(s): At this time, I can only guarantee Elejah.

Summary: When Elena and Elijah share an afternoon together, it becomes more than either thought imaginable.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to the show, I'm only borrowing them for my story.

Author's Note: I'm sorry this has taken me so long to get out. It is in no way affiliated to my last multi-chapter story. I meant to make this a one shot smut piece, but as a fellow poster of mine (Sarah) observed, I can't do that without setting up a backstory of some sort. Nearly a hundred pages later (at this point) I'm still not anywhere close to completing this, so I hope you guys enjoy! Also, I was inspired to write this after going on a Buffy/Angel binge, and while I've clearly made this my own Elejah work of art, it wouldn't have been possible without that week (or several).

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Chapter 1

"Mmmm," Elena Gilbert wasn't sure if it was a moan or gasp. It didn't even matter. All that mattered to her was the fact that it had been way too long since his mouth had claimed hers. Either way; her mouth opened wider and her partner took advantage of it, plunging his tongue into her mouth. She eagerly responded to the plunder, caressing his mouth with her tongue.

Realizing his partner needed to breathe, he kissed his way across her cheek until he reached the sensitive spot below her ear. He nipped the area, enjoying her reaction when she thrust herself against his growing length. He growled against her skin, kissing down towards the mark he left months earlier. It was faint, an action he'd done on purpose; not wanting it to be too obvious for anyone else to see. He kissed the area before nipping against her skin.

"Ooohhh!" Her hands caressed his shoulders, wishing that he wasn't wearing so many layers.

Using his body as leverage; he pinned her to the wall as his hands roamed down her body, before settling on her nipples. He pinched and rolled the hard nubs through her shirt and bra, delighting when she moaned loudly.

As his hands continued to work over her body, Elena threw his tie over his shoulder before her hands moved towards his shirt. The assault against her neck made unbuttoning the garment more difficult than she'd expected, but she pushed on; eager to feel his chest against her hands. It had been far too long since she'd felt his skin against hers!

Smiling against her neck, Elijah continued to lick and tongue the area. He felt her fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, but he'd taken far too much pleasure in distracting her.

After living as long as he did, he preferred sexual partners that were experienced who bowed down to his desire of domination. Yet, the moment he'd kissed Elena Gilbert, he knew he was lost. While she'd known the touch of other guys, she was still relatively inexperienced, and he loved that. He relished in the way that her body responded to his and the fact that she was so eager in his skilled hands.

As soon as she parted his shirt enough, her hands moved across his chest before traveling down his stomach. In response to her actions, she felt his body quiver against his. "Someone enjoyed that…" she preened.

Ripping his mouth away from her neck, his eyes darkened when he took notice of her satisfied smirk. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off her face by forcing her to submit to his ministrations, but it had been far too long since he'd felt her tight little body against his. He knew that there would be no battle of wills, at least not then. They would both submit to the other, and he planned to enjoy it. "Someone has forgotten her place…" he replied. His teeth pulled on her ear and he breathed. "Tell me, lover, have you been with anyone since me? Since that day?" He cooed, making sure to nuzzle the area. "Do you remember that day? The day that you submitted to me fully?" He ran his nose down the length of her neck, stopping at the faded mark he'd left and licking it once again. She whimpered in reaction and he nearly groaned.

"Elijah…" With as much force as she could muster, she framed his head in her hands, pulling his mouth away from her neck. As soon as she could, she captured his mouth, thrusting her tongue in his mouth.

He dominated her mouth, kissing her as deeply as he could. He'd been able to smell her arousal as soon as he ripped his sister away from her, but in that moment…he swore he could taste it. His hands moved to her waist and he began unbuckling her jeans.

"I've missed you…this…" she moaned out, helping him to remove her jeans. He set her down on the ground long enough to remove the offending material.

"Are you sure about that, lover?" He demanded, his eyes flashing. He didn't even notice as her pants dangled off of one leg before he eagerly grabbed her hips in his and hauled her up his body. "Don't think that I didn't hear about your kiss with that boy." Once he had her body secured between his and the wall, his hands moved to her nipples and he pinched the sensitive nubs harder than he should have.

Elena whimpered in response. She felt a tingle in her lower belly and a rush of heat shoot through her. Neither Matt nor Stefan had been rough with her, so the first time that she fell into bed with Elijah had been an eye opening experience for her. Even then, his touches were both pleasurable and demanding. It had been a good thing that they'd been dealing with so much, far too much to be intimate with one another; because she doubted she'd be able to hide the bruises that the Original left on her body from Stefan.

"You've been a very naughty girl," Elijah growled, slipping a hand between their bodies. Expertly, he undid his pants and pulled out his cock. He rubbed it against her sex. "Fuck…you're so wet…even through your panties."

Elena mewled in pleasure. Just the feel of his length rubbing against her…she was more than eager to feel him fill her.

"Tell me, Elena. Were you this wet for him when he kissed you? Did you enjoy it when his mouth was on yours?" He tapped his hard-on against her, relishing in her cries of pleasure. He didn't like the thought of Elena with anyone, but he certainly hated the thought of her with Damon Salvatore.

"Don't tease me, Elijah," she panted, attempting to kiss him. Her lips landed against his cheeks and his neck, but never his mouth. She knew he was attempting to punish her for the kiss she'd shared with Damon weeks earlier, but she'd be damned if she let him succeed! "It wasn't as though I asked for it," she replied with a small pout.

He thrust against her again, enjoying when she shuddered against him. He stilled then, staring into her gaze. "Did you respond?" He asked then. He stilled her hips as she attempted to wiggle against his him. "Did you respond, Elena?" He demanded then, clamping his hands around her hips and stilling her movements completely.

"I…I did," she confessed in a whisper. She'd never intended to kiss Damon, let alone respond to him. After months of absence from Stefan both emotionally and physically, she'd missed the attention. She missed feeling desired and she missed the physical side of having a romance. For one brief second, it all felt right, even if it was the wrong set of lips.

"And our time, it meant nothing to you?" Elijah asked with a fire in his eyes. For the first time…in a very long time, he felt a sense of jealousy wash over him. Stefan Salvatore was one thing; after all Elena had technically been 'dating' him the afternoon that he'd seduced her. However, Damon was another matter altogether.

Elena shook her head and frowned. "It was one time," she denied weakly. At the time, she hadn't though much of it. She didn't think it would head anywhere.

Elijah Smith…or well, Mikaelson; as she had learned, had taken her by surprise. Even upon their first meeting, she'd been enthralled by his presence. He exuded sex appeal and power, and she had not been blind. However, it wasn't until the afternoon that they spent at the Lockwood mansion that things had changed. He'd touched her in a way that no one else had done before him. His mouth and tongue were like liquid fire that consumed every inch of her body that they caressed. His fingers ghosted over oh so willing body as if teasing her…and he had. Even with the light caresses, it was both too much and not enough. He'd touched her deeper than anyone else before, his thrusts both demanding and coaxing. He'd managed to do things to her body that she'd only heard about until then.

As soon as the moment ended, they'd both showered and by the end of the afternoon, they were back at the Salvatore residence. They'd walked in on Stefan and Damon arguing over her…as usual. She hadn't even noticed at the time, but she stood closer to Elijah as she made her decision to follow the Original. Within twenty-four hours, her life had turned upside down and he'd been daggered and she didn't have time to focus on what could have been. Not that what she and Elijah could have ever turned into anything. He'd made it clear by the way he treated her afterwards, that it had been nothing more than a fling.

"Was I so forgettable that you would willingly submit to… that child?" Elijah demanded, using one hand to tweak her nipple.

Leaning up, Elena grasped his hair in her hands and placed a kiss against his mouth. "Never!" She swore. He made a half-hearted attempt to break the hold she had on him, but she fought against him. The brunette knew that he could have pulled his mouth away from her if he really wanted to. She knew he was challenging her, and she was not about to disappoint him. She thrust her tongue in his mouth, pouring every emotion she could into the kiss. Panting, she broke the kiss and stared at him.

He allowed her to kiss him, appreciating her desire to prove him wrong. He gazed at her, she'd never looked so beautiful or temping in that moment with her lips read and swollen from their kisses…except maybe when she submitted to him in bed.

"I never forgot you…or that afternoon," she said softly. It was part of the reason why she fought so hard to regain Stefan. Her guilt had gotten the best of her, and she felt that if she wasn't fighting for him, then someone would discover what had taken place that afternoon. "It was on my mind more than it should have been." She didn't consciously focus on the memory, but it was there; always there.

He shook his head. "No it wasn't," he denied in an equally soft voice. In his thoughts, if it had, she never would have kissed Damon Salvatore whether she initiated it or not!

"I didn't think you wanted me," she mumbled then, looking down at his naked chest, fighting not to blush in embarrassment. "I just thought you left town…I didn't know that Klaus had daggered you."

Elijah frowned upon hearing her words. Ignoring whatever she was going to say next, he captured her mouth in a searing kiss.

Not expecting his actions, Elena's eyes widened as he plundered her mouth with a demanding kiss. It only took a moment before her eyes closed and she fell into the kiss with complete abandon.

"How could I not want you?" Elijah asked when he broke the kiss. Belatedly, he'd realized that he had her pressed against a dirty wall in an alley not far from where he rescued her from his sister. At the time, he'd been too aroused to think clearly. His evening with the Salvatores had opened his eyes, and he was ready to reclaim what he felt was his. He'd wanted nothing more than to fuck her into submission and make her forget that she ever heard of Stefan or Damon. He nuzzled her neck to the side and immediately found his mark. He tongued the skin beneath his mouth, and nibbled against it.

Elena moaned in response to his actions. She wasn't sure what it was about that spot, but every time he brushed against it or bit into it, she felt her body tingle.

"You bear my mark," he said, kissing the spot once before he pulled away and looked into her almond shaped eyes. He took notice of the confusion swimming on her face and sighed; not at her, but at the idiots he'd once trusted to keep her alive. "You have no idea what that means do you?"

Elena shook her head, suddenly feeling more young and inexperienced than ever before.

He thought about telling her, explaining it to her. Then he realized that it would have been more fun to show her. Kissing her again, he swallowed her protest of surprise as his hands once again traveled over her body. "Oh, lover," he smirked at her when he pulled away from her decadent mouth. "We are going to have so much fun," he said in a near purr. He caressed her chest, paying extra attention to her nipples.

Her mind stumbled as it attempted to catch up with him. From the moment that he grabbed her into his embrace and carried her to the alleyway, she'd experienced a plethora of emotions. Between relief and arousal to demure and sad and then back to arousal. However, she was willing to follow along. Elena gasped when he pulled down her shirt and exposed her bra.

"Have you missed me?" Elijah inquired, pulling down the cups of her bra and exposing her breasts to the night air. Her nipples were already primed and ready but when they hardened even more, he felt his cock twitch in response. Bringing his mouth down to one, he took the pebbled peak into his mouth and sucked on it.

Elena responded by thrusting against the appendage that rested against the apex of her thighs. She threw her head back, not even minding the harsh impact of the brick wall behind her. His hand moved towards her exposed breast and tweaked it between his thumb and pointer finger.

"That's my girl," he cooed against her nipple. He both felt and smelled her arousal increase. "I love the way you respond to me." His kissed her again, his hand moving back to his cock as he ran it against her sex. "It's been far too long, Elena."

"Elijah…"

He groaned against her mouth, delighting in the sound of her voice as she called out his name. Using his free hand, he pushed her underwear to the side as his thick length teased the opening of her entrance. "Do you want me, lover?" He may have been too eager in his use of the word 'lover' but he planned on making it a reality.

"Yes!" Her hips undulated against him, hoping to coerce him into plunging into her.

Elijah dipped his tip inside her before pulling back out. "Are you sure?" He watched as she nodded in response before he repeated the action. "Yeah…I bet you are…" He leaned in and nipped at her ear once again. "See, I know that you kissed Damon, but your body is still untouched."

She wondered how he knew that fact, but decided to tuck it away for later. Instead, she concentrated on the way he played her body. "I haven't," she confessed unnecessarily.

Elijah's eyes flashed with an overall sense of male satisfaction. "I'm glad." He dipped his tip inside her once again, but instead of pulling out, he stilled inside her. He felt her walls clamp around him and he groaned. "Do you have any idea how it pleases me to know that you have remained untouched since our union?" He swore that her body began to hum and tremble against him. "Do you know why that is, Elena?" He took a deep breath, blowing into her ear as his mouth traveled down her neck and settled over his scar once again.

Elena blinked, attempting to clear away the sexual cloud that settled over her. He was doing such delicious things to her body, she couldn't concentrate on his words…she didn't want to. All she wanted to do was lose herself in him. He nibbled on that particular area and she felt her stomach quiver in response. "You like that spot…"

He smiled against her neck before pulling his head far enough away so that he could meet her gaze. "Oh, I more than like that spot," he returned gruffly.

She attempted to move her hips and pull his penis further inside her, but his hands immediately settled on them and stilled all movement. She squeezed her walls around him and nearly smirked when his eyes closed and he tossed his head back. "You like that, you want me. I want you. Let go and take me the way you want."

Her words pulled his attention and Elijah met her gaze once again. "Oh, I will," he purred then. "Do you know why I like that spot?"

Elena frowned. "You said it was your mark…"

He nodded. "Yes," he acknowledged. "It puts you under my protection and warns off all others." In all the years that he'd existed in his un-life, he'd never had the urge to do that to another being. Yet in that moment, it had been instinctual for him. Just the idea that she bore his scar was enough to harden his cock even further. "You're mine, Elena," he growled then. He had essentially claimed ownership over her upon branding her with his mark; at least that was how others of his kind would view it. He was surprised that she had gone so long without someone noticing it. Focusing on the wound, he toyed with the idea of marking her again. The scar had healed well, too well for him. The mark was barely obvious for even supernatural beings; and unless they were to specifically look for it, it could be passed over.

Her heart fluttered at his words. Elijah wasn't always dominant with her, but when it came to sex, he was…or had been. It had only been the one afternoon, but Elena found herself enjoying it. If it had been anyone else who proclaimed her as his, she would have argued. Yet as she stared at the man who held her in his embrace in that moment, she couldn't find it in herself to fight against him or his words.

Giving her a moment to think over his words, as if daring her to argue with him, Elijah gazed into her eyes. He watched her process point before giving in to the notion. He smiled then, pleased with her reaction to the observation; glad that she wasn't fighting him over it. There would be time for talking later, at that moment; he wanted nothing more than to become reacquainted with her body! Without warning, he thrust fully into her, groaning when he was fully sheathed inside her.

Throwing her head back in pleasure, Elena screamed. She paid no mind to the location they were in, and she remained uncaring about the idea that someone might happen upon them. Her body had been primed for him and when he thrust up into her, she was not left disappointed.

Staring at his partner, Elijah pulled out before slamming back into her. He set a near brutal pace, his strokes long and deep. He was rewarded with her moans and mewls of pleasure as her small body accepted everything he gave her.

She felt her back scrape against the brick wall with every thrust. She knew that her body would bear scrapes and bruises by the time they finished, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. She attempted to thrust down against him, but his movements were too quick for her to match.

Leaning into her body, his pace never faltered as he captured her mouth in a searing kiss. He felt a tingle creep up his spine and he knew that it his orgasm wasn't far off. Silently, he vowed that the next time they were intimate; he'd last longer…much longer.

Elena eagerly responded to his kiss. Her body was humming and she felt her stomach tighten. When she felt his hand snake in between their bodies and begin to pinch and pull at her clit, she moaned into the kiss; her walls clamping around his thick length.

He swallowed her cries of pleasure as her body coaxed his into sweet oblivion. His body shuddered and he tore his mouth away from hers as he continued to thrust into her tight heat. When his orgasm ripped through him, he thrust into her one last time; his cold seed shooting deep inside her.

Holding his head against her neck, she attempted to catch her breath as he orgasmed. Once spent, he nearly fell into her body as he tried to calm himself. When he pulled away, Elena stared at him with a half-smile.

"You know, when you said 'catch-up,' I didn't think you meant that," she teased softly.

Thankful for her attempt at keeping the mood light, Elijah felt his body uncoil from unnecessary stress. He hadn't been sure what to expect after their post-orgasm states. He worried that he'd gone too fast for her, revealed too much for her. Saying things during the moment was one thing, but he had dropped a bombshell on her… "I didn't," he replied, smiling himself. "I approached you under honest pretenses." He pulled away from Elena and began to fix himself up.

It was at that moment that Elena realized where they were and she cast a look around before she bent over to pull her pants back on. Had she really just had sex in an alley? Had she really just had sex in a public place? She'd never done that before, keeping the act in bed or in the privacy of someone's residence. Even when she was Stefan, she'd never ventured doing that in public; though he had tried to entice her to broaden her locations. She'd just never had the inclination to do it in public. Not only had she been afraid of the chance that someone may happen upon them, but she thought it would have tarnished the act. As if it would have made it dirty in some way; yet she didn't feel that way about her recent activities with Elijah. Instead, she felt excited, desired and even a little brave.

Watching her, Elijah fought to bite back the smile that he felt forming. He'd taken her against the wall of an unnamed building in an alley! He found it sweet and endearing that she would find hesitation after all of that. He knew that he'd managed to work her up into a frenzy, and he relished in the fact that he'd affected her in such a way.

Ignoring his attention, Elena shimmied into her pants and fixed her shoes before she dared to look at him again. "So at what point was it that your intentions became less than honorable?"

He shrugged into his jacket and ran his hands through his hair in attempt to tame it. He smirked at his companion. "When you begged me with your eyes to fuck you," he answered. His voice held a casual air, but he gave her a smoldering gaze.

Her eyes narrowed at his choice of words and she scoffed. "When I what?" She was no longer surprised by any words that fell from his lips, instead, she found her arousal growing in that moment. Just the thought that he used the word 'fuck' as he spoke about what took place between them… "Please tell me, when was that? I…am I doing it now?" She knew that he was merely playing with her, but she didn't want to be the one who 'caved in' first!

He shook his head, the smirk never falling from his mouth. "Not yet…"

"Well, please, let me know when I do. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable," she teased back, knowing that he very well could seduce her one more time before they even made it back into public view.

"Oh, you won't." He couldn't remember the last time he'd been in an uncomfortable position regarding a sexual partner. "Others may find themselves uncomfortable," he eluded, knowing that he'd take her anywhere he could, and she would let him. "Maybe even yourself, but not I."

She stared at her companion, knowing full well he meant what he said. She wasn't sure what situation she'd just put herself in, but she knew that things had changed. "I should get home…" she trailed off quietly. After the night that she'd had, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed.

He nodded with her assessment. "Then allow me to escort you home," he offered, holding out his arm. He was not yet ready to be parted from her, but more than that, he worried about his sister and her intentions towards Elena. She had only just been released from her slumbered state and she was already gunning for the human. He wouldn't put it past his sister to make another attempt on Elena that night. Not only was she still gunning for revenge, but her pride was hurt.

Elena locked her arm through his as he led her to her vehicle. He seemed to be finished with his seduction and teasing words and he'd slipped back into the gentleman that she'd become acquainted with. Even as they walked closely together, he kept his hands in respectable places. Other than slipping a hand over the arm she had entwined with his, he didn't touch her.

Of course if she had known the significance of his hand resting over hers, she may have had different thoughts. She was unaware in that moment, but Elijah was ready to announce his intention for her in public. And while she may have missed the meaning behind his action, an angry set of eyes did not.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

Author's Note: So I think I'll stick to updating this once a week, for the time being. I want to get more chapters written before I start updating more frequently. I just worry that I'll go through writer's block and I don't want to leave you guys hanging too long. It seemed to work relatively well when I posted my last story.

BrownieStick: I'm glad you liked it. I do enjoy writing (and reading) Elejah smut, because it's the only way we Elejah fans can get it. I hope I don't disappoint you as we get further into it.

Siberia21: See, I mentioned before that I originally wrote this to be a one-shot, so that's why I had it so straight forward. I didn't even think that I could, as you said 'start from the beginning.' I would worry that I wouldn't be able to write it while keeping the characters somewhat in character. If you liked that first scene, there's more smut to come.

Diehardromantic: Thank you for your compliment. I was hoping you would read this as well. Yes, multiple chapters here. I just don't have an end in sight yet, so I can't tell you how long.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you.

Dreio: I certainly hope you feel that way throughout the rest of this story. There's nothing worse than when a story starts off really strong only for it to die off later. I will certainly do my best to make sure that doesn't happen.

Casey: Oh, don't worry, I will definitely continue on with this one. As I mentioned in my note above, I'm going to keep the updates to just once a week until I get more chapters written out.

Callie8M: Thank you, and I hope I don't disappoint you later on.

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*Warning: There will be smut towards the end of the chapter!*

Chapter 2

Fiddling with her keys, Elena stared at her companion as she nervously chewed on her bottom lip. "I'd invite you inside, but my house is messy."

Elijah arched one eyebrow and smirked at her words. He found it difficult to part from the young woman before him, and he was not yet ready to relinquish his time with her.

She noticed the amusement on his face as his eyes danced with mirth at the thin excuse. "No, really," insisted. "Tonight, something happened to Rick at the house and there was blood everywhere." She'd cleaned it up the best that she could earlier after taking care of Alaric, but she knew that it would take several deep cleans for every trace of what happened to disappear.

Elijah's good humor slowly turned into deep concern. "Elena, what have you gotten yourself into?" He asked, glancing around the porch to see if anyone was watching them. He took the keys from her hand and unlocked the door before letting himself into her home. As soon as he entered, the smell of blood and bleach immediately assaulted his nose. He followed the scent, taking in the horrifying scene in the kitchen. Blood still stained the cabinets and glasses were broken all over the counter and floor. "You were going to sleep here tonight? Alone?" How could she possibly think that was an acceptable decision? "This must have been a great deal of blood, Elena." While the bleach had been able to clean up most of it, his eyes allowed him to see what humans could not. "What happened?"

Approaching him from behind, she set down her purse and moved to the trashcan so as to clean up the glass that remained untouched. She and Matt had done their best to quickly clean up before bringing Alaric back to the comfort of his own apartment. She focused on the task at hand before her as she told him her story.

"Alaric and Damon have made a new friend in town. Her name is Meredith Fell. Not only is her family part of the council, but she is now. She um…she's a doctor at the hospital. Her boyfriend, or I guess ex-boyfriend, was the medical examiner."

He paid special attention to the use of her words. "Was?"

"His body was found, he'd been stabbed…with a stake." She watched him process the news, understanding why she'd started her story the way she had. "Um, there were a couple suspects, but nothing really panned out, and then it was revealed that the only prints on the stake were mine."

Concern and apprehension flooded through him. "How is that even possible?" He never entertained the thought that Elena was capable of murdering someone.

She shook her head. "I don't keep weapons here. Alaric keeps them at his apartment, but he's never brought them to the house. And even if he did, I certainly don't touch them." She remembered the lessons that Alaric and Damon had given her earlier on, and she knew how much force needed to be used to actually stake someone. "I'm not efficient with them, so if I was going to use a weapon, it wouldn't be a stake."

One side of his mouth tilted upwards as he considered her words. He'd love to spar against Elena to see what she knew about protecting herself. As a human that spent most of her time with vampires, she needed to know how to defend herself.

"And then I remembered my family's lake house. My parents kept weapons there, and when I went to double check, there was a stake missing."

"Surely they know that you had nothing to do with it…"

Elena nodded. "Sheriff Forbes knows I didn't do it. Because the police were turning an eye to me, Alaric and Damon turned their interest to Meredith. She may be a council member, but Damon's learned that she heals her patients by using vampire blood."

The Original pursed his lips. It sounded like he would be making an unscheduled trip to the hospital. Who was supplying the good doctor with blood? And more importantly, why was she stupid enough to use it on her patients? Didn't she consider the possibility that things happened, and any one of those patients could have died with the blood in their system?

"And then Caroline's dad came back to town. Tyler Lockwood attacked him and he was treated by Dr. Fell."

"Gave him vampire blood, did she?"

"And then he was stabbed afterwards, thus beginning his transformation," she finished. "Mrs. Forbes knows the circumstances behind that and is aware that I had no part of it, but it still leaves them with a suspect out there."

"And Alaric was attacked here in your home?" Unless Elena had invited an unknown group of vampires into her home, it meant that the killer was more than likely human. "What possessed you to think that staying here by yourself was a wise idea?" Honestly where was her sense of self-preservation?

Elena finished cleaning up the glass and set the trashcan back down where it was normally kept before she turned around to face him. "Honestly, I figured that whoever it was wouldn't return back to the scene of the crime." Also, she didn't want to bother her friends. Caroline was still dealing with the fallout from her father's decision not to turn and Bonnie had just reunited with her mother. She didn't want to bring Matt further into the situation, and she wouldn't step foot inside the boarding house and possibly cause even more drama with Stefan and Damon.

Elijah studied her form. "I'm not leaving you tonight, Elena."

"Elijah, I'll be fine," she waved away his concern, though she felt humbled by it. From the moment that they made their first deal, her trust in the Original had never waned.

He shook his head, not at all ready to believe her. "I don't think it's a coincidence that the killer used something of yours against those people." Perhaps if she'd been a normal girl, but Elena wasn't normal. With her involvement with the supernatural…it was too coincidental. "The victims are also becoming more personal to you." First her best friend's father was grievously injured and then her guardian? He considered the rest of her friends and wondered if any of them would be next. "You don't need to be alone right now." He wasn't quite sure what it all meant, but he was going to investigate it further.

"But your family…" If Rebekah was awake then that meant his brothers were as well.

"Will still be there tomorrow," he inserted, not at all worried about them. Klaus was there, and he was sure that by then, Rebekah had returned home with her tail in between her legs. The two of them could help Kol, Finn and their mother adjust to the new times.

"I'm sure that they will be. I only meant that this is the first night that you have all been reunited." He'd made no secret of his desire to have his family back. "You should be spending it with them." She wasn't trying to talk him out of his decision, but guilt snuck into her conscience.

He took a moment to consider her words. While he was anxious to spend time with his brothers, he found himself more interested in the brunette before him. "There's nowhere I'd rather be right now," he replied in earnest. "It's been a long night, Elena. Why don't you shower and get ready for bed, and I'll finish cleaning in here?"

When he immediately spun away from her, she stood stalk sill. She didn't like feeling as if she'd been dismissed, and she felt anger simmering below the surface. How dare he? "Excuse me?"

"I mean it, Elena. We'll talk shortly." He didn't know how to tell her that he needed a couple minutes to himself to gather his nerves. He knew that if he didn't, there would be a strong possibility that he may something he'd regret.

He felt mounting anger at his human companion. He was amazed by her ability to find herself in potentially dangerous situations without any common sense. Not only was her recent revelation worrisome, but so was her flippancy about it. Either she didn't understand the threat made against her, or she didn't care; both reasons served to fuel his anger. His feelings for Elena had grown exponentially over the course of their acquaintanceship. He didn't fully understand it himself, but he did know that just the idea that she could be injured was enough to send his demon swimming up to the surface.

Taking in the stiffness of his body, she let out a weary sigh. "Elijah…" She trailed off, unsure of what she could possibly say in that moment. Something told her that even if she could put her thoughts and feelings into words that they wouldn't be well received in that moment. "Whatever…" Turning around, she left the room.

Hearing her footsteps trail away, Elijah dropped his head. His hands balled into fists and he pounding them against the counter once. He ignored both the feeling and sound of the ceramic tile (as well as the wood cabinets) splinter underneath his fists. "Damn it!"

* * *

Exiting the shower, Elena grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her small body before letting down her hair. She brushed her teeth before moving to her room to find something to wear. She tossed on violet-blue tank top and a pair of yoga pants. She'd almost considered wearing sleepwear, but her choices consisted of sexy articles and far from sexy articles. If she grabbed the former, she thought it would be trying too hard, and she was even sure if she wanted something further to happen that night. If she picked the latter, she was afraid it would tell him that she wasn't interested at all.

Making her way downstairs, she found Elijah leaning against the island counter in the kitchen. Knowing that she didn't need to make extra noise to announce her presence, she waited for him to address her. She was still feeling slightly miffed by his words before she went upstairs, and she refused to cave in first.

Gracefully, he moved towards Elena, drinking in her appearance. Her skin was still flushed from the hot water of her shower, and he discovered that he found her just as beautiful without make-up as she was wearing it. The only thing he didn't like was that she no longer smelled of him. "I'm sorry about earlier," he spoke softly. When she refused to meet his gaze, his hand moved to her chin and he tilted her head up. "I was…Elena, don't you understand the potential danger in this situation?" His hand traveled to her cheek.

Closing her eyes, she fell into his touch. "It's not that I don't, but if I stressed over every single situation in my life, I'd have had several mental breakdowns." She was very aware of the seriousness of it. "It's just…compared to everything else that my friends and I have dealt with, it seems almost inconsequential, you know?"

"And you decided to stay here alone instead of going somewhere else…why?" He needed to know that she wasn't as reckless as she appeared to be.

When his hand dropped from her cheek, she shook her head. "I didn't want to bother anyone else. Matt isn't as involved with all this as the rest of us, and I didn't want to pull him in. And Bonnie and Caroline are dealing with family issues, they don't need my stuff on top of it."

He noticed that she didn't mention Stefan and Damon. While he despised both of them, one more than the other; he knew that they both wanted to keep her safe. "And your Salvatores?"

When his eyebrows rose in a pointed manner as he said their name, she almost winced. "I've already caused enough damage there. I know that they'd let me stay with them in a heartbeat, but…I also know that it would only cause more drama between them."

He nodded at her excuse. He didn't care for it, but knowing Elena the way he did, her decision made sense. "Before I leave in the morning, I will give you the number to my cellular." When she cracked a smile of amusement, he shook his head. "What can possibly be so amusing about that?"

Nibbling on her bottom lip over the choice of his word, she bit back her smile. "Nothing," she denied softly. Looking around the room, she noticed the near spotless kitchen, bar for the blood that still stained the cabinets, and then she noticed the condition of her counter. "Is there a reason why you felt my counter had to die?" She couldn't find it in herself to care much. As far as she was concerned, the kitchen had already been tainted by Alaric's blood. She watched his reaction, interested when he ran a hand through his hair.

"I've prided myself on always being in control," or at least keeping the appearance of it. "Yet, I find that I lack that certain trait when you are involved. I will have it repaired of course."

"You really don't have to. I think this room is in need of a major facelift." She felt sorrow as she looked around the room. Ever since her parents died, she and Jeremy had kept the house as a sort of shrine; afraid that if they changed anything, that their lives with their parents would be forgotten. She didn't look forward to that task.

"You are not looking forward to it…"

"We haven't changed the house since my parents died," she admitted softly. "Jenna and Rick's room aside, nothing else was done." Clearing the unpleasant thoughts away, she looked back at her companion. "Are you ready for our conversation now?"

Gazing into her eyes, he offered her an open smile. "Yes, I imagine you have a few questions." He held a hand out for her, entwining their fingers as he led her towards the direction of her room.

Silently she followed behind him. Considering the fact that he'd only been in her house a handful of times, he appeared extremely comfortable. She didn't feel uneasy in the least as he led her through her own house as if it was his own; in fact, it felt almost normal.

Elijah pulled Elena to the mirror in her room, moving them so he towered over her as they both faced it. "What would you like to know?"

"You said that you marked me…" She met his gaze unflinchingly through the reflection of the mirror. "What did you mean?"

"Has Stefan not told you about this?" He wondered about her naivety when it came to vampires. She really should have taken the time to study and learn about them before she decided to run with them.

She shrugged. "He hasn't exactly been available lately, either emotionally or any other way. And before then, he'd asked me about turning, but when I told him that I didn't want to, he just…got quiet." Looking back, she regretted her decision. At the time she had no desire to change, she didn't even know how she felt then; but shouldn't she be open to the possibility?

He had to admit, he felt confused by her statement. She always appeared so eager to play the part of a martyr. She wanted death but not a transition? Her best friend was a vampire, her ex-boyfriend and whatever the hell Damon was to her, were vampires. He respected her decision, but he didn't like it. It would be something that he planned on prodding at a later date.

Turning his attention back to the situation at hand, he began with an apology. "I must begin by apologizing, Elena. It wasn't a conscious decision on my part." He supposed that the decision had been made by his animalistic side more so than him. "Because of that mark on your neck, I have essentially claimed you. That mark will protect you against others of my kind, warning them away from you."

She frowned and turned her attention towards the mark on her skin. "I don't understand. Klaus drank from me to the point of killing me. How is that different from what you did?" If his mark was meant to deter others, then how had it gone unnoticed for so long?

"He bit you to drink from you. A claiming mark is different." Drinking from people tended to get messy, so bites tended to be more careful.

"How so?"

Nuzzling her neck, he pushed her hair away and focused on licking and nibbling the mark he'd left. Her reaction was instantaneous and felt her shudder against him. His hands moved to her waist, holding her closer to his body. "For one thing, the bite is deeper. It's meant to be a little messy so that even when it's healed the scar will remain. When I bit you, I pushed a bit of venom into you."

Her eyes closed as pleasure welled up inside her. She reminded herself that she would need to ask him more about her reaction to him. "Venom? What? Whenever Stefan and I were…" She trailed off, feeling a rumble of his chest as he growled against her.

Relieved that she rightly trailed off with his reaction as she spoke of her activities with Stefan during the course of their relationship, he forced his growls down. He'd known the day that he'd first taken her, that she'd known the intimate touch of another, maybe even more than one. He also knew that as a vampire, Stefan wouldn't have been able to withstand the lack of sex for long. The young Salvatore may not have considered himself a youngling, but Elijah still viewed him as such. Lust of any kind was still a fairly dominant trait in vampires younger than two hundred. The rational side of his thoughts understood that, but he had a strong desire to fuck her until she forgot that there had ever been another man. Realizing that his thoughts would more than likely make her uncomfortable, he turned back to his explanation. "Because claiming is an instinctual reaction, the venom is more closely tied to the demon inside a vampire. It isn't just something that can be conjured at will. The venom also serves to make the mark more noticeable."

"But I hardly recognized it, and no one else did either…" Klaus had been close enough to it the night of the sacrifice and she'd spent more time with Damon than ever before. How had they not seen it? She knew that the mark was light for her human eyes, but weren't vampires gifted with excellent eyesight?

Pulling away from her neck, he met her gaze once again through the mirror. His hands were splayed over her stomach and he closed the distance between their bodies completely. "And this is something that I've thought on. While it's true that the desire to mark someone is instinctual, it's usually discussed by the couple beforehand." While he'd never experienced it firsthand, he knew of it happening between acquaintances if his through the years. Each party involved always knew the consequences beforehand. "If you'll remember that day, we did not discuss that. And I believe that because I did not originally intend to mark you, I was not as thorough in my actions."

Elena met his gaze through the reflection of the mirror as her hands moved to settle over his. "What does that mean?"

He stared at their joined hands and he wondered if she even realized that she'd done that. "Honestly, I have never heard of such a thing." He hated admitting such a thing to anyone, but he couldn't lie to her. She would need to know everything about the situation since included her. Based on her reaction to him when he touched his mark, he knew that she was definitely feeling the effects. "It either happens or it doesn't. I'm afraid that this is new territory, even for me." There was also the added twist that she was still human and that also left him with more questions.

"But you gravitate to that spot…" As soon as she spoke, he once again nipped at the area before licking and nibbling over it.

"And you quiver in my arms every time," he returned in a husky voice.

"What…what happens to a couple that…i…is marked?" Her eyes were closed and she had difficulty questioning him. She felt her body coming alive in response to his actions and she was beginning to grow extremely aroused. Judging by the growing erection she felt against her backside, she wasn't the only one feeling it. When Elijah's head snapped up and she met his intense gaze through the mirror, she noticed that his eyes were a few shades darker than usual.

"I love your reaction to me," he purred against her ear, breathing into it. He was rewarded by the scent of her arousal permeating the air around them. He spun her around in his embrace. "You smell divine, and I want nothing more in this moment than to bend you over your desk and plow into you until you submit to me in every way." He held no embarrassment in sharing his desire with her.

Her arms easily moved to accommodate his nearness as her body easily reacted to his. She dropped her head against his shoulder as she whimpered. This…whatever this was, differed from their previous times together. She knew that she'd been seduced their first time. Tonight, it had been about reacquainting themselves with one another. Both times had been passionate and needful, but there was something almost primal and desperate between them in that moment.

"And you'd let me, wouldn't you?" He nearly purred as his arms moved around her and he grasped her bottom in his hands before pulling her against his growing erection. "Someone could be in this room with us right now and you'd let me take you any way I wanted…"

Mortification flooded through her in that moment. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. It was then that her insecurity took over. Next to him, she only had a handful of experiences to draw from. He must have been doubtlessly proficient in the art of sex and she was beginning to worry about her body's reaction to his ministrations. It couldn't possibly be normal! Did it have something to do with his mark? It must have something to do with it, because she'd never reacted in such a way to anyone before.

He watched several expressions flicker across her face before she settled on a frown. Claiming her mouth in a heart fluttering kiss, he pulled her from whatever thoughts that plagued her. "Don't mistake my words, lover. You have no reason to feel embarrassed or inferior about your reactions to me. I enjoy them very much." To make his point, he thrust against her. When her body relaxed from its tightly coiled position, he enticed her into another long kiss. "I want you, Elena," he breathed against her lips.

Vaguely she was aware that they were headed on a course away from their intended conversation, but she found little care for it in that moment. "And how do you want me?" She asked in husky voice, prepared to give him what he wanted. Her body was beginning to ache for him, and she needed it to stop and her instincts told her that he was the only one who could give her relief.

Elijah smirked at her choice of words. He already began conjuring up various positions for them to try out in the future. "Oh, I have a few thoughts running through my mind." The promise in his voice was clear. "But right now, I want you to ride me." She obviously understood that there was a world of difference between them as far as sexual experiences went, but he wanted to draw her out of her shell…he needed to. At least in this position, it gave her a semblance of control that he sensed she needed to feel.

When his lips trailed down her neck and he began sucking on her pulse point, her eyes closed and she willingly submitted to him. "What about our conversation?" At that moment nothing else mattered to her than feeling of his naked body against hers.

He didn't dare remove his lips from her skin as he replied. "Later." Questions still plagued both of them, but he couldn't find the desire to pull away from her in that moment. Kissing his way up to her mouth, he claimed her mouth with a renewed fierceness. His body ached to join with her, and without interrupting their kiss, he unbuttoned his shirt before unbuckling his belt and unfastening his pants. When he felt he was at his easiest point of shedding his clothes, he picked her up and carried her to her bed, gently setting her down.

When he released his hold on her, she took a moment to calm her body and catch her breath. She realized it was a futile effort however as Elijah shed his clothes in a matter of seconds. She gazed at him, mesmerized by all his naked glory.

"Do you like what you see, Elena?" He was in no hurry to cover his body or hide it away from her viewing pleasure. He'd always known that he was attractive and he always relished in his partners reception of his naked form, but he'd never craved the attention as much as he did in that moment. It pleased him endlessly that Elena approved of his body.

Not trusting her words, she nodded, her eyes traveling down the length of body. As awful as she felt to admit it, she couldn't remember what his body looked like. Their first time felt like a blur to her, and the only thing she could clearly remember was her body trembling in a mixture of excitement and prudence against his skilled form. Her only other point of comparison existed in a dark alleyway that bore them little light and even then they both remain semi-clothed.

Stepping closer to her, he leaned down and easily removed her shirt. However, instead of enjoying the view, he gently pushed her back as he easily maneuvered her out of her pants and underwear. Only then, did he stop to drink in the sight of her body. He'd noticed the change in her body when he first approached her earlier in the evening. She'd celebrated another birthday during the time that he'd been daggered, and mother-nature had been treating her well. Her waist was still slim and her curves had filled out. The only difference he could find was that her body was more toned and muscular since their first introduction.

"You are radiant, Elena."

She felt the sting of embarrassment in her cheeks upon hearing his compliment. She was almost tempted to hide her body away, but he appeared most sincere in his words. She'd been told she was beautiful before, but never in such a personal moment. "You act as if you've never seen a naked woman before." She wasn't fishing for compliments, but his words left her feeling uncomfortable.

"I've seen enough to know that I have never been so enticed before."

She shook her head. "Maybe so, but I am also a doppelganger." She was well aware of his previous attachment to Katherine.

Crawling over her body he captured one nipple in his mouth and began to suck on the nub. "And yet, until I seduced you, I remained unknowing," he whispered when he released the pebbled peak.

His thoughts conjured up a vision of Tatia, the originator of the doppelganger curse. She had been the first woman that he'd fallen for. There had been women before her and while he hadn't been a stranger to the secrets of a woman's body, there was never emotion on his side. The moment he'd met her, he was taken (as well as with her child). A cautious friendship grew before he shared his feelings with her, yet there had never been more than heavy petting and a quite a few kisses. He had wanted to respect and treasure her, and he thought he'd done the right thing by her. It wasn't until he stumbled upon Tatia and Klaus in an unsavory position that he realized she'd played him. She may have wanted him, but hadn't wanted only him.

And then there had been Katherine, who had taken him completely by surprise. He hadn't been prepared for the tidal wave of emotions that she brought with her. It didn't take long for his interest in her to become something more, but he always held back. During their entire acquaintanceship they'd shared one close mouthed kiss, which he initiated. When she didn't respond the way he had hoped she would, he attempted to tuck away his feelings for her. He'd had no choice in the matter. Klaus had staked his claim on her the very night Elijah introduced them. It had taken dozens of years for he and Klaus to repair the damage that had been done to their relationship because of Tatia, and he refused to let another woman come between them.

He'd been bitter upon the way that things worked out with them. He'd cared for both women more than anyone else (at least up until that point) and yet he lost out in the end. Staring down at the beauty beneath him he reveled in her mere closeness. The expression on her face was open for him to read and he was easily able to discern her lust, affection and excitement; however it was the trust that he saw shining through her almond shaped eyes that really captured his attention. Other than his siblings, he couldn't remember the last person to look at him in such a way. It was in that moment, he realized there was a reason why things had worked out that way for him. He was no longer spiteful about the end of his relationships with the Petrovas.

The expression on his face went from teasing to contemplation before settling on acceptance. There was no sign of anger or displeasure, but she began to grow concerned. What epiphany had he come to? "What?"

Her question pulled him from his thoughts and he shook his head. With superhuman speed, Elijah lifted her in his arms and adjusted their positions so that he was sprawled along the bed with Elena straddling him. "Absolutely nothing, lover," he denied with a lazy smirk. Worried that he'd killed the moment between them, his hands moved to her waist and he pulled her heat against his throbbing erection.

She sighed as she ground herself against his cock. Lacking any form of teasing or seduction, she lifted herself high enough to grab his impressive length and line it up with her body before dropping down over him. There had been no foreplay, and yet her juices provided enough lubrication to take his entire length in one single thrust downward. Throwing her head back, she savored the feeling of having him inside her once again.

As soon as he was fully sheathed inside her, he yearned to drill up into her and touch her as deeply as was possible. Her body was positively humming, but he sensed that she needed a moment to get her wits about her. The effort that it took not to thrust up into her was more difficult than she could have ever guessed, but he'd give Elena her moment.

"I can't explain it, but I already feel better," she confessed in a husky voice. She didn't know what it meant, but she knew that as soon as he filled her, the aching that she felt ceased. Instead of screaming at her, her body seemed to purr in contentment.

"You know what would feel even better?" He inquired as he felt her raise up before dropping down on him. He held onto her waist, following her movements.

"What's that?" Dropping down a little harder against him, she shimmied her hips, pulling him at a new angle which resulted in a gasp from him.

"Cumming around my cock as I explode in you…"

He was pure sin. Not only was he able to seduce her using his body, but his words had a similar effect on her. She'd never been one for dirty talk. Matt tried it once, but it didn't sound right coming out of his mouth. Stefan had done it during one of their more adventurous times, but it ended up making her feel more dirty than anything. However, when Elijah spoke such things, she felt empowered and desired.

He'd never been one to shy away from things that he desired. He may have had all the appearance of a gentleman in public, but behind closed doors, it was another matter. He was rewarded for his efforts when her pace increased. His hand traveled up her body and he palmed each breast. He squeezed and pinched and pulled at her nipples.

"Oh…the things you do to my body…" He knew exactly how to coax a response out of her and she vowed that she would learn the same trick where he was concerned. She wanted, needed, to know what he liked and desired.

"Oh we're just getting started, Elena. I have so much to share with you, lover," he finished his promise with a particularly strong pinch of her nipples. She clenched around him and moaned. He found his eyes closing in satisfaction as he allowed her to take full control of the situation. He'd been used to vampire lovers, who used their supernatural speed and strength, so the pace that she'd set was slow to him…but oh so enjoyable. He held fast to her breast, continuing to play with her nipples. When her hands settled over his he took particular interest in the way that she would flex them if she moved a certain way. Her breathing was a heady mix of moans and mewls of pleasure.

"I…" Elena trailed off panting as her pace began to grow deliberate. "You aren't deep enough," she whined. While just connecting with him was enough to ease the ache she felt earlier, another one had started to build. She wasn't just having sex, her body was reaching for something more than just a physical relief. She didn't understand it, but she knew it was there.

Sitting up, his hands moved to brace her waist. The next time she dropped down on him, he thrust up into her.

Crying out, she repeated her action. When Elijah met her thrust for thrust, her cries increased. She didn't know if it was because of their new position or the fact that he was easing the ache that plagued her. Either way, she was appreciative of his actions.

Groaning, Elijah leaned in to capture her lips in a breathtaking kiss. She moaned into his mouth and he eagerly swallowed every reaction, never breaking his hold on her.

"Still not enough…" Elena groaned, wrenching her mouth away from his. Her arms moved around his neck and she hugged him closer to her body.

Encircling his arms around her back, the pace of his thrusts increased. He continued to lick, nibble and kiss her collar bone and neck. Her cries grew louder and their bodies shuddered against one another. Moments later, Elijah felt his orgasm creeping up on him.

"I'm almost…" He trailed off with groan of unparalleled pleasure. He'd always been a generous lover; always bringing his partners to completion as well, a habit he refused to drop with her.

She jerkily nodded against him. "Me…ugh…too."

When she revealed her similar state, Elijah didn't bother to hold back any longer. As he thrust into her, he began pulling her against him, hitting her as deep as he possibly could. She mewled as her body shuddered against him and when he felt her walls clamp around him, he embraced his own orgasm. There was an overpowering urge to bite the mark he'd left, but he pushed it down. Instead, he nibbled against it.

Elena didn't know if her orgasm had ended or if it was being drawn out in length; but upon feeling his lips over her mark, another orgasm ripped through her, causing her still sensitive body to react powerfully.

When his thrusts stopped, and she slumped against him he continued to hold her in his embrace. Her head fell against the crook of his neck and he started running a hand through her hair.

Bringing her head up, she met his gaze. "This is going to be a problem, isn't it?" It may have come off as a question, but she knew it was a certainty.

Rather than confirm or deny her observation, he moved her off his lap as they switched positions. He stretched out and pulled her against him before he pulled the comforter over them. "Sleep, Elena," he ordered gently.

Elena closed her eyes and turned into his body. "And you'll stay?"

Placing an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her snuggly against his form. "If that is what you desire."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you.

Echo-Dancer: Glad you're liking it.

Bellislefan: Good news, Finn will not be the sacrificial anything. As for who flips more, it's a toss-up. Rebekah may or may not have something up her sleeve in chapters to come.

Leoslady4ever: Ah, the pair of angry eyes… it won't be mentioned just yet. I'm happy that you're liking this. I have or should say, I had an outline planned, but the story keeps getting away from me.

Diehardromantic: After reading your review, I had to take a second and think. While you meant no offense, I didn't intend for Elijah to be taken so out of character. I wanted to chalk it up to the mark, which I'll delve into as the chapters progress. However, I'm glad that you're still enjoying where I have brought/am bringing him.

Aurora Space: When I mentioned the marking thing, I didn't mean for it to reflect in what happened in BTVS. The story that inspired me was more about the curse itself than anything, but I can see how it came off that way after the way my first two chapters came off. As for the lemony-goodness, I'm glad that came across well. I can't help but write it because we won't see it on either show. There will be quite a few differences in this story compared to how things went down on the show, so obviously there will be no blood binding spell. As for the reactions of everyone, it will come out in the next couple chapters.

Author's Note: I don't know if all my readers read my responses to my reviewers, so I wanted to add this note. I will be changing quite a few things compared to how they went down in the show. At this point in the series, other than seeing Elijah on my screen again, a lot of what happened was in a complete fog to me and I'm too lazy to put on the DVD to watch. I'm writing this based on my very first reactions upon seeing the episodes, so let me apologize if it's wrong. Also, because of the direction I'm taking things in, the characters will be different compared to the show.

* * *

Chapter 3

When Elena woke that morning, she felt more rested than she had in a long time. She knew that it was all due to her bedtime companion. She opened her eyes, feeling disoriented, thinking it had been nothing more than a glorious dream. It wasn't until she rolled over that she saw him sprawled out next to her, his gaze settled on her form. "Hi," she whispered softly.

"Good morning, Elena." He was stretched out on the length of his side, his hand supporting his head and he studied her.

Heat rushed through her cheeks but she continued to smile. "It is, isn't it?" She couldn't remember the last time it was that she'd awakened feeling so content. "I didn't think that you would be here when I woke up," she confessed.

"I didn't intend to be," he returned softly. He watched the expression on her face change. Her smile faded into a frown as her heart plummeted into her chest. "Not for that reason, silly," he denied. "I was hoping to make it home undetected, but there is no way now that I can return home without attracting attention from at least one of my siblings." He'd been hoping to put that off just a little longer.

The truth was, he couldn't drag himself away from her. It was as if a spell had woven around them the night before, and he was loath to break it. He hadn't intended to fall in bed with her after escorting her home. Upon learning about Alaric's attack in her home, his intentions had been nothing but honorable. He hadn't even realized when his purpose changed, but his desire to join with her had taken control…and she'd seemed to suffer from the same affliction. As they slept, he was content to hold her in his embrace, but he was beginning to experience the same desire he felt the previous night.

"I really should go," he said with a frown marring his features. Something told him that if he didn't leave then, he'd keep her in bed well into the afternoon. As tempting as the thought was, her human body wouldn't be able to handle it. He also had his family to consider.

Elena nodded. "Yeah…" She didn't want to leave the bed, content to spend the rest of the day in bed. "I should shower and meet Rick at the hospital. I told him that I'd be there to drive him home when he was released. And you have your siblings back. I can't keep you all to myself."

It was obvious by the tone of her voice that she was just was eager to leave her room as he as. "And my mother," he added absentmindedly. Elena jerked up into a sitting position, barely able to keep the sheet covering her. Alarm was the prominent emotion on her face, and Elijah frowned. "What?"

"No…nothing. I was just surprised to hear that," she attempted to sooth her nerves.

He studied her as if to judge the truth of her words. "Really?" He asked, tilting his head as if the position gave him better insight into her thoughts.

She nodded.

He didn't believe her in the slightest, but he didn't have time to question her just then. "Are you sure?" However, it would be part of their next conversation; he would make sure of it. He'd seen Elena go up against Klaus. She even died at his hands, but Elijah had never seen her look so frightened before.

She nodded once again, willing him to leave the subject alone. How was she supposed to tell him that his mother tried to kill her? She couldn't! And she certainly wouldn't ruin anything for him. He'd spent years upon years searching for his family and now…he finally had them, she refused to take that happiness from him.

Minutes later they were both dressed and Elena walked him to the door. "I know that this isn't really the time," she began, "but what does all of this mean?" She didn't just mean the fact that they'd slept together yet again, though that was a large part of it. They still didn't have answers concerning his mark and she was left feeling more confused than she had felt the night before.

"Honestly, I don't know," he sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "I know what I want to happen." He placed a chaste kiss on her lips, afraid that anything more would entice them to return to her bedroom. "Now the question remains, what do you want?"

She opened her mouth to answer but quickly closed it before nibbling on her bottom lip.

"I do not require an answer right this moment," he smiled easily as he grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together. He wasn't hurt by her lack of response, as there were still so many variables to consider. "But I do ask that you think on it," he kissed the back of her hand. "I will see you soon, Elena," Elijah promised.

With one last caress, she closed the door behind him and leaned against the door. Once again, he'd managed to twist up her insides and jumble her emotions; only this time, she couldn't find it in herself to care as much as she did before the sacrifice. Things were far different than they had been then.

Her relationship with Stefan had gone from happy to non-existent to complicated in the previous months. When he'd come back from traveling with Klaus, it was as if a part of him had been robbed. He'd given up so much to protect his brother, her, and he hadn't been the same. She tried her best to support him, to help him find his way back to himself…to her. Despite her past infidelity with Elijah, she'd wanted to put it all behind her and be with Stefan, and then Klaus's compulsion kicked in. Stefan became a stranger to her. He was cold and distant, but she still refused to give up on him. It wasn't until the night that he'd threatened to drive off a bridge with her, after feeding her his blood, that she realized just how far gone he was. She couldn't imagine ever truly forgiving him for that.

Once upon a time, Stefan had been her number one priority. He'd been the person she called whenever a situation rose, which it did…often. And he protected her, helped her and supported her. Everything had changed though. She learned that Stefan couldn't be her number one priority, and it had been a difficult lesson to learn, but she'd learned it. He was no longer the first person she called for help. It was as if he and Damon had switched roles in her life…romance aside.

She truly had grown to appreciate Damon in a way that she never had before. She didn't know if it was the werewolf bite that changed him, or the fact that for once in his life, he had to be the brother he was always meant to be. Either way, he'd changed, at least where she was concerned. He was still rude, sarcastic and provoking when it came to everyone else, but not to her. And yet, as much as her feelings had grown for him, she didn't love him. At least not the way that Damon wanted her to.

Before jumping into the supernatural, she'd been a relatively normal teenaged girl. She desired to be popular, so she joined cheerleading. She embraced her femininity and she had grown aware of the opposite sex. She knew when someone was checking her out, and she'd known that Damon had often looked at her like some of the boys in her school did. The looks that he'd given her through the years had evolved from disinterest to looking at her as if she was his salvation.

After Stefan's actions, she'd been at her lowest, and she clung to Damon, embraced the affection he gave her. Reflecting back on it, she knew that she shouldn't have, because it obviously encouraged him. And for a while, she allowed herself to believe that something might happen between them, even if she remained reluctant about it. It was yet another thing, she realized upon reflection that wouldn't have worked. As close as they had grown to be, they were still two very different people.

Trying to shake herself from her thoughts, she moved towards the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. Once it was brewing, she grabbed the phone and dialed the hospital to connect with Rick.

"Hello…"

"You sound very annoyed already. Bad morning?" Elena teased.

"I'm already healed, Elena," he growled across the line. "Why did I let you talk me into staying?"

"Because you weren't last night," she denied softly. She heard a loud sigh across the line, as if he was attempting to calm his nerves.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I just hate this. I hate that someone was able to hurt me. Elena, I'm the adult here. I'm supposed to be protecting you…and Jeremy. How can I do that when I can't even protect myself?"

"What did Sheriff Forbes have to say about last night? Does she have any idea who…or…what attacked you. Is it the same suspect who stabbed Caroline's dad and killed the medical examiner?"

"There's still no suspect, but you have been cleared from the list. Off the record, she thinks it's the same person, but there is no evidence to suggest it."

"I wasn't really worried about that part," she denied. Liz was like a second mother to her, and she knew that there was no way the Sheriff would let things go down that way. "I guess we'll be doing some people watching?" She asked, referring to the second part of his statement.

"We, not you," Alaric denied. "I want you as far removed from the situation as you can get."

"Rick…"

"The doctor is making his rounds now so I should find out soon if I'm clear to be discharged, but I'm sure I am."

"Really, you're ignoring me?" Elena laughed into the phone over the fact that he completely disregarded her words and changed the subject. "Fine, we'll talk about this later." Elijah had made an interesting point the night before. And if he was right, and this situation was somehow connected to her, she wouldn't be staying out of it.

"Elena…"

Detecting the annoyance in his voice, she interrupted him. "Gotta go, Rick. I need to shower and get ready. Call me when you hear something from your doctor." She ignored the protestations coming from the other end as she disconnected the call. After drinking down her cup of coffee, she headed for her shower.

* * *

"And just where the hell were you all night?" Rebekah demanded as she glared at her eldest brother. She'd been waiting anxiously for him all night, ready to lay into him for his actions against her where Elena was concerned. However, she ended up falling asleep before she could see him. She fumed the entire way home over the situation. Not even seeing her mother or brothers had been able to pull her out of her funk.

"I was with Elena," he said evenly, refusing to lie about it. And even if he attempted to lie about it, he knew that not only did Elena's scent cling to him, but the smell of sex did as well. He wasn't embarrassed by the development with Elena, and he would not cow under Rebekah's attitude.

Snorting in amusement, she stepped closer to him ready to speak her mind. However, it was the almost familiar scent of Elena's perfume and the lingering scent of sex that stopped her dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to say something, but when she couldn't form the words, she shut it again.

If it wasn't such a serious moment, Elijah would have found amusement in the fact that he'd been the one to leave her speechless. Usually it was the other way around.

"Oh…you….no way…" Rebekah sputtered through her words, still processing the meaning of her discovery. "You and…oh, this is priceless," a twisted laugh bubbled forth.

She didn't understand the allure about the Petrovas. She supposed that they were pretty enough, but Rebekah had met far more beautiful people in her travels that would outshine a Petrova any day. And she never did understand Elijah's fascination with them or the fact that every single one of them managed to wrap him around their pretty little fingers.

She'd once called Tatia a friend. She once anxiously waited for Elijah to get his act together and make Tatia his. She'd been eager to call Tatia family, and all was well, until Klaus took an interest in her as well. While years parted their ages, Klaus and Elijah managed to develop a friendly rivalry. Elijah always being the eldest and strongest of the bunch; always won, but he did push Klaus to do better, and Klaus always enjoyed a challenge. Tatia had been a sore subject between them for years; and while Rebekah had never found the strength to confirm her thoughts, she knew that Klaus had viewed the single mother as a challenge. His feelings for her may have grown after time, but it started out as being nothing more than a way to one-up Elijah.

It didn't matter how much time followed before Katherine made an appearance, Rebekah still found a heavy amount of resentment where her face was concerned. She'd watched her brothers the very first night they met Katherine. She'd watched Klaus weave his magic around her, enticing her, seducing her…and then she'd watched Elijah's feelings grow once again. Yet Katherine proved to be more manipulative and selfish than the original version had been, and Rebekah had never been so thankful to be away from someone.

And then Elena entered the picture, Elena, who managed to irritate her more than either of her ancestors ever had. She'd found pleasure in tormenting the human, of course it had all been in fun…until the little bitch had daggered her. It was then that her feelings for the human went from annoyance to extreme hatred. It was because of Elena that Stefan didn't want her, and she hated that everyone was so eager to defend the doppelganger.

Elijah refused to back down from the withering glare his sister offered. He matched it with his own intense gaze. "Please tell me how this is any of your business, Rebekah. You've told me several times that I had no right to dictate your life or lovers, why do you not extend the same courtesy?"

She arched her eyebrow. "Oh, this is so much more than that! And you know it! This isn't just some woman you met in a bar and have no intention of seeing again," she finished, her anger turning to worry. "I thought you would have learned your lesson by now…but no." She shook her head. "I'm beginning to think that the doppelganger curse is also a curse for you…us." How was it that he'd been lulled into each of their traps? Elijah was the most level headed person she'd ever known, but one look from any Petrova had him throwing that all away.

"Rebekah, I won't allow you to guilt me." He watched as the fire in her eyes reignited, and he was glad that he didn't give into the tactic. "If you don't have anything worthwhile to say, I am going to shower." When he'd awakened that morning, he contemplated showering at the Gilbert residence, but he forwent the decision to keep Elena in his embrace.

Her mouth twisted up in a cruel smirk. "Yes, please wash off that stench," she agreed, scrunching her nose. "Just wait until Nick finds out."

"Finds out what?" Kol questioned, as he and Klaus joined the pair. "Oh, look who decided to grace us with his presence." He turned a critical eye to Elijah. The fact that his brother wore the same outfit from the previous night did not go unnoticed. "I assume it's safe to say that you had a good night…"

Klaus ignored his younger brother. He too took notice of Elijah's outfit. A smirk nearly broke out over his face, until a familiar scent hit his nose. Whatever hilarity he'd felt, was immediately squashed. Looking from Rebekah, who wore a cruel smile, and then towards a ramrod straight Elijah, an understanding washed over him.

"Yes, our brother had a very good night…with Elena Gilbert," Rebekah supplied happily. She turned away from Elijah's glare, looking towards Klaus in interest. Surely, if she couldn't get through to him, then Klaus would.

Kol looked from one sibling to another. "Elena Gilbert? The doppelganger?" No one bothered to answer him. Klaus and Elijah appeared to be squaring off, and Rebekah stood off to the side watching with a satisfied smirk on her face. "Please, don't everybody rush to answer at once…" Kol offered up sarcastically.

"Yes, Kol," Klaus answered, never turning away from Elijah. "The doppelganger…my doppelganger." He defiantly turned to his eldest brother as he answered, smirking when Elijah growled in response.

The youngest brother shook his head. Elijah and Klaus fought over Tatia, they became estranged to one another because of Katherine, and were ready to fight over another doppelganger. "You know, in this evolving world, it's good to know that not much has changed with either of you."

"What are you doing, Elijah?" Klaus demanded with a tight voice. "You were with me at dinner last night, you know of my intentions for Elena."

"Sorry, Nicklaus," though he sounded anything but. "That doesn't work for me." Even if nothing had ever escalated where Elena was concerned, he wouldn't let Klaus control her life and that of her family for the sake of continuing on with his hybrid race.

"Make it work for you." He would not allow anyone to interrupt his plans, even his own siblings. He'd waited far too long for that precious blood, and he didn't want to wait another five hundred years for another possibility of a doppelganger. Klaus was prepared to dagger those who did not fall in line.

"Perhaps it's time to give up this scheme of yours? You will not use Elena as your own personal life source." He would make sure that Elena was free to live her life out from under his thumb, even if that meant he wouldn't end up with her.

"Once upon a time, you were on board with that scheme," Klaus returned hotly. "In fact, I believe it was you who I conspired with when the sun and the moon curse was created…"

Elijah nodded once. "I have since changed. I've grown, evolved; but you are still the same spoiled, selfish child you always were." He knew his words were provoking, so he'd been prepared when Klaus moved to attack him.

However, before any contact could be made, Kol interceded, pulling Klaus away as Finn flashed through the room, doing the same to Elijah. Klaus struggled against Kol in order to get himself free from his hold. Glaring murderously at Klaus, Elijah jerked free from Finn's hold, but didn't move any closer to his hybrid brother.

"That is enough!"

The order caused all movement in the room to cease as the five siblings turned towards their mother. She stood in the doorway of the room, viewing them all through narrowed eyes.

"It has not yet been a full day since our reunion and you are fighting." She shook her head, turning her sad gaze from her eldest son towards Klaus. Elijah immediately looked down, chagrined by her words. However it was Klaus that she worried about. While he stopped struggling against Kol, he still wore a sour expression on his face. "You should know better, all of you."

"I'm sorry, mother," Elijah apologized softly. He would not apologize to Klaus, but his mother did make him feel a sense of remorse.

Lessening the severity of her glare, Esther took a deep breath. "I have decided that I would like to have a ball." She ignored the confused and surprised glances she received from her children. "I would like to meet our neighbors. Now that we are reunited, I want to do things right. I trust this will not be an issue…" She trailed off as she pointedly looked at Klaus.

"Oh course not," he denied with a pout.

"And Rebekah," Esther offered her daughter a polite smile. "Since you have nothing better to do with your time than to make waves between your brothers, I trust that this will keep you occupied." When her daughter had the grace to look ashamed, she turned back to Klaus. "I would like to have a word with you in private, Klaus."

Kol released his brother's form, but stood ready to grab him again if Klaus decided to pick back up with Elijah.

With his body still coiled in anger, Klaus stiffly approached his mother's expectant form. Hanging his head, he followed her out of the room.

When Klaus left, so did the tension in the room. Elijah visibly relaxed and turned to look at Finn.

"I know that Klaus has been prone to have his fits, but I have never once known you to add to them," Finn said evenly, without a hint of judgment. "Was it at least worth it?"

There was no hesitation from Elijah. "Yes." He peered at his brother, easily able to discern Finn's desire to question him more.

Staring at his older brother, Finn nodded after a moment. He'd wanted to ask Elijah more about the matter, but held his voice. Elijah would tell him if he wanted to.

Kol turned his attention from his brothers and narrowed his eyes on his sister as she attempted to slink away from the room. "If we're comparing one another to how we once were, I have to say, Bex, you haven't changed a bit." She froze in her steps as her back straightened, but she didn't turn to face him. "Now, I may not know the particulars of the overall situation, but I do know that you turned something from precarious to really bad…all because you didn't like what Elijah had to say to you. I thought you would have grown out of that by now."

Ignoring the penetrating gaze of Elijah, she focused on Kol. "As if you have any room to judge my actions," she scoffed. "You have behaved just as reckless in the past. Klaus couldn't even keep a handle on you so he had to dagger you."

"But I have never behaved so with my siblings." He had no argument against her point, because she was right. He'd embraced his darker side, and crossed a point he never should have. He knew that it was his behavior that forced Klaus to take action against him, but never once had he turned that darkness on his family. As far as he was concerned, it was a different situation completely. "You have always done this. Whenever anyone does something that you don't like that may result in someone else's happiness you always try to take it away."

She opened her mouth to respond, to argue against him, but he forged on.

"In the last hundred years, I would have thought that you would have matured some," because before he'd been daggered, she wasn't. "You are one of the most feared beings in our world, and yet you remain a spoiled, catty, little girl."

Elijah observed the way that his sister's big blue eyes welled with tears. It pulled at his heartstrings, and he felt the need to sooth her. Being the baby of the family, and the only girl, Elijah and his brothers doted on her. All she had to do was turn her big blue eyes towards them and he, Finn and Klaus were lost to her. The only one who was able to resist that was Kol. Elijah always figured it was because they were so close in age. Resolving his nerves, Elijah refused to comfort her.

"I don't understand how you can be so complacent about this," Rebekah insisted. "Our family has already been torn apart twice because of a Petrova, and this idiot goes and falls for another one."

"I will say this one more time, Rebekah," Elijah said in a deceptively calm voice. "My decisions are not up for debate now or at any time in the future. You have always trusted my character judgment in the past, why would I lead you wrong now?" When he noticed that she had no response for his observation, he turned and left the room without another word.

* * *

"I understand that I upset you-" Klaus immediately began as they moved to the privacy of the office.

"Sit down, Nicklaus," Esther gently ordered, ignoring his words. She waited for him to claim a seat before speaking again. "I have always looked on you with such fondness…" Or she had until she'd been sent to another realm and spent a millennium watching the monstrous acts her children committed. "When Mikael and I were married, we were complete strangers to one another. He was a good man, but strict. The first time that we laid together it was out of my matrimonial duty only."

He may have had a thousand years' worth of experience, but just like every other child, he didn't want to think about certain things when it came to his mother. "I really don't want to hear this," Klaus informed her, stressing his words.

Esther steadily ignored him and continued on. "When I discovered I was pregnant, it was the first time I was truly happy in my marriage. I suppose that Mikael and I became good companions during the gestation. Losing our baby brought us even closer together, and feelings developed. I had grown to love him, I was not in love with him, but I still loved him. Mikael was never an open person when it came to affections and emotions, but he fell in love with me during our journey to the new world."

When she paused in her tale, Klaus looked over to find his mother staring out into the space before her with a vacant expression on her face. While her body occupied the same room as him, he knew that her thoughts were a thousand years in the past. He knew that, because he'd seen the same expression on Elijah's face, on Rebekah's. While it was a time that he locked away under the hope that it would disappear, his siblings had never felt the same way.

"We settled down in the new world and made a life together. Elijah was born, and it was not so long after that, that I met your biological father."

Klaus instantly perked up at her revelation. He'd never known much about his father, other than learning of his werewolf descent. When the truth about his parentage came out, it had ruined their family. A fissure was created between Mikael and his mother, and it trickled down to their children. He'd been so angry with his mother. He couldn't look past his resentment to question her much.

"I was taken with him, and he had the same affection for me. He respected my marriage to your father, and also had a family of his own. It wasn't until after Finn was born that we became closer. I was always eager for the moments that we were together." It hadn't mattered if they were alone or not, she just wanted to be with him. "We were experiencing a particularly harsh winter and food was scarce. Mikael ventured further out to find food and that was the first time we were alone together. He had come to check on your brothers, on me. The snow began falling at a rapid pace and he would have been lost had he ventured out into it. That was the first night that we gave in to our passions."

"The first?" He interrupted. "I thought it had only happened the one time?"

"My husband was feeling anger and betrayal because of my indiscretion with another man. How could I have broken his heart by telling him the truth?" She'd carried on with her affair for the better part of a year. "While the science of reproduction was not exactly known back then, we both had a general knowledge. We were always careful, and I would make sure to lay with Mikael soon thereafter. When I discovered I was pregnant I always knew there was a chance that Mikael had not fathered my baby, but I told your father that it was Mikael's. It was then that we decided to end the affair, and for years no one knew the truth. I devoted myself to my husband and family and all was well. And when you were born, I knew the first time that I looked at you that you were not my husband's child. I buried that secret deep within me, but I always treasured you. You were the one thing I had left of the man that I loved."

"But you let Mikael treat me-"

"A wife does not speak or act against her husband," she denied softly. She knew that she should have done more to protect Klaus from Mikael. Mikael had always been so severe on him, and it led her to question more than once, if her husband held a subconscious knowledge of Klaus' creation. "Was I not always there to calm him before he went too far?"

He nodded half-heartedly, his thoughts completely taken by her story. "Why are you telling me this? Why now? Why couldn't you say this before…then?" Where had the sob story been when he needed it most?

"I am sharing this with you, because I felt that you needed to know. I have spent the last thousand years watching my children, watching you struggle. I…I know that you are searching for something that you lacked in life, and I…I know it's because of this. Your relationship with Mikael was always precarious and once the truth was revealed it only worsened. I know that your siblings attempted to help and support you, but it was never enough." She turned her attention towards him. "Was it?"

He didn't dare open his mouth, not sure if he could even deny her words if he wanted to. He hadn't been able to deal with their looks of pity and cautious words. While they had always been close, he always felt like a bit of an outsider; a feeling that was multiplied when his mother's transgression became known.

The bond that once held her children together had shattered, and they embraced their darkest sides, caring little for the others. "Elijah always supported you. It was not until you turned your back on him that he repaid the favor," she gently observed. "You alienate yourself from your siblings and it must stop."

Esther stood up to leave the room, to leave him to his thoughts. Stopping next to him, she leaned over and placed a kiss on the crown of his head. Grabbing her hand to stop her from her from leaving, Klaus looked at her through tear filled eyes. "All this time…all this time I blamed you for ruining my life, for not…doing more."

Offering him a watery smile, Esther nodded. "I know. But I spoke in honesty last night. I do forgive you." Squeezing his hand in silent affection, she pulled it out his grasp and exited the room.

* * *

After she finished getting ready for the day, Elena returned to her room to clean and remove the evidence from her night of passion. She still had no idea what all of it meant, and she didn't think it wise to say anything to anyone else until she had an answer herself. She knew that if she mentioned that something was happening between herself and Elijah, not mentioning the sex of course, Damon and Alaric would flip. It wasn't exactly a situation that she wanted to experience.

Opening her bedroom door, she came to a complete stop when she found Damon leaning against her back wall. Her stomach knotted and her head began to pound. If she hadn't known Damon as well as she did, she wouldn't have known that anything was wrong with him. He leaned against the wall in a deceptively calm way, his arms crossed over his chest. However, it was his face that gave it away. While his expression remained even, his eyes glowed with anger and his mouth was drawn in a firm line.

"Damon…" She stepped further into her room and calmed her breathing. "What are you doing here?" Better yet, didn't he realize that she had a front door?

He pushed away from the wall and took a few steps further into the room. "I was surprised to hear from Alaric this morning…where he called me from his hospital bed," he added pointedly. "Why didn't you call me or…at least my brother?"

"It was all such a blur. I was going to call you when I got home," that had been her original plan. Because in some sad way, Damon and Alaric had bonded through their nights of binge drinking; and a friendship of sorts had grown. Damon deserved to know about what had happened. "But I ran into Rebekah on my way home…both figuratively and literally. I think it's safe to assume that she's more than just a little angry." She looked to see if her story had any effect on him. "She was ready to kill me, Damon. If she hadn't been interrupted, she would have." The only reaction from her story was a pair or raised eyebrows. "Elijah saved me from her. He brought me home and we talked and he helped me clean up the kitchen."

Damon pursed his lips as he looked around the room. His gaze once again fell on her bed and his body stiffened. "Was that before or after the two of you fucked?"

Elena gasped in response to his words. She didn't know if it had more to do with the vulgarity of his words directed towards her or the fact that he knew what happened between her and Elijah. Tears welled in her eyes and her breath caught in her throat.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

Echo-dancer: I hope you will enjoy where I take this.

Ryksa: Thank you. I couldn't wait another day, so I posted early. Hope you all don't mind.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you

Lapislazuli101: I wonder if you'll enjoy this chapter then?

Eva: Loved you reviews! They made me laugh. As always, I'm glad my smut came off well. I just hope you aren't disappointed with where I took things in this chapter. I have to admit that I re-wrote this chapter a few times so I hope I don't let any of you down.

Sunbelt: More smut will be coming, though not yet…and as for talking…well, you'll see soon enough.

Author's Note: I'm glad that people are enjoying this. For those of you that have stopped to favorite this or ask for an alert, I hope that you aren't disappointed. And as to my reviewers, you brighten my day whenever I read them. Thank you for taking the time out to review them. This chapter is where things got away from me. I didn't originally intend to place such attention on everyone's reactions, but I'm kind of glad I did. The only one that I was really uncertain of was Stefan, and hopefully he wasn't too OOC. I'm still remembering back to his character around that time, and I think he was still being weird.

* * *

Chapter 4

"I'm the idiot here, Elena, so why are you crying?" Damon demanded, angry that the sight of her tears could temper his anger. She had managed to cast a spell over him during the course of their relationship, and he was beginning to realize that it wasn't such a good thing. Over the previous months, he found himself saying and doing things that he never would have before. It had been easy to ignore when she appeared to be so appreciative of it. However, he was beginning to grow disenchanted with it all.

She shook her head, knowing that out of the two of them, he was the one who deserved to be upset. "I…I didn't mean to hurt you, Damon," she cried softly as her tears ran down her cheeks. And she really hadn't. He had come to mean so much to her in such a short amount of time, and she didn't want to lose that…him. And really, he deserved better. While the bad things that he'd done to her…to her friends couldn't be erased, she had been able to put it in the past.

"What did you think was going to happen when you fell into bed with him?!" Her excuse was unbelievable! And more than that, what a cliché! "How could you do something so...what is wrong with you?" He sprung forward, and was in her face within a matter of moments. "When you died, did your brain cells refuse to come back to life when you did?" Her eyes widened in response and he couldn't find it in himself to care about the severe insult. When she looked down, he continued to berate her. "They are the bad guys, Elena. Or did you forget that somewhere between your sheets and the bed itself?"

"It wasn't like that," she denied. "I…it's more than that, Damon," she whispered miserably, not at all able to explain it for him. Things weren't black and white. They hadn't been in a very long time. Just because they once thought they were the good guys didn't mean that they hadn't committed villainous acts themselves. He'd done his generous share of things, and she hadn't been innocent either.

His eyes pierced her as he read further into her denial. "Don't tell me you actually have feelings for him, Elena." He studied her expression, noticing the way that she bit her bottom lip, but she met his gaze through her tears. "You can't be serious! He's a thousand years older than you. Just think of all the venereal diseases he could be carrier of."

"Even if that was the case, you aren't so far behind him," she spat back at him. Her tears immediately stopped and her ire rose. Glaring at the man before her Elena shook her head. "You forget that I know all about your past. Do you even have the right to point fingers?" She'd heard stories about Damon and his previous conquests, and while the numbers may have differed, he had no room to judge.

"It is so not the same," he denied casually as he waved away her words. He ignored her observation; because for him, he was over it. He didn't want the casual sex. He'd been there before, and while it could be satisfying, he wanted more. He wanted the girl in front of him. "Christ, Elena, I thought that we were…" He ran a hand through his hair, unable to finish his statement. While nothing had been verbally declared, the emotions were there. Stefan was aware of it, and he'd been so sure that things were coming together for them. Finally, he would get the girl.

She nodded slowly; once again her guilt got the better of him. "I know," she finished lamely as she gave his wounded form a once over. "For a while there I thought that maybe you and I could make a go of things." If anything, she owed him the truth; she just hoped that it wouldn't hurt him in the long run. "I had given up on the idea that Stefan would become the Stefan I had fallen in love with." She really thought that she had closed the book on that chapter in her life; and then she saw the look on Stefan's face when he found out about their kiss…

"And somehow you went from kissing me to falling into bed with someone else? How does that happen?" At least if it had been Stefan, he would have been somewhat prepared for that. They at least shared a past, but Elijah? That seemed to come out of nowhere. Sure, he had seen moments between them, looks that passed between them, but they had been innocent. Hadn't they? She and Stefan had been together at the time.

"As much as the idea of us might have appealed to me, it wouldn't have worked," she denied softly. It was a slow realization, but it still hurt…and she knew it would hurt him as well. "I don't want to get between you and Stefan, Damon. I never have, and I tried not to. Things happened and we changed and I really thought that we could have…but in the end, it wouldn't have worked." She would have been no better than Katherine as far as the Salvatore brothers were concerned. Her ancestor had left a lasting impression on both of them, one that could still affect their actions to that day. She didn't want to add to that. Forever was such a long time to exist. When Damon and Stefan thought back on her, she didn't want there to be any hard feelings.

"And that's how you're justifying this…whatever it was with Elijah?"

She ignored his sneer. "There is no justifying it, and I shouldn't have to." Granted, she felt guilt over hurting him, it wasn't as if they'd exchanged promises with one another. "Whatever emotions that existed between us, you and I were never more than friends." Elena hated to say it, hated to throw it in his face, but it was the truth. "And as for Elijah," she sighed. "I really can't explain that right now." Whatever little leeway she'd made with Damon was instantly smashed and she watched with slight fascination as his features darkened once again.

"Playing coy does not suit you, Elena."

Swallowing her groan of frustration, she inwardly rolled her eyes. "I'm not playing anything. I really can't explain that right now."

"Whatever. I'm out of here." He brushed past her, refusing to meet her gaze. "Oh, and when it all goes to hell, don't come crying to me."

She watched him storm out of her room as she claimed a seat on the edge of her bed. There were either two things he was leaving to do. The first, he would head to the Grill and start his drinking earlier than usual; or, he would head right to Stefan to share the news with him. Then again, maybe he would do both? The only question was, which would he do first?

Despite the fact that her relationship with Stefan was over, feelings had still existed between them. She'd fought so hard to bring him back to himself and just when she had given up on the idea of that ever happening, Stefan cracked. He'd shown more emotions upon hearing that, than he had in a long time. He didn't deserve to hear the truth second hand.

"Damn it!" She huffed as she stalked downstairs to grab her things before leaving her house. She really didn't want Damon to be the one to tell Stefan. She knew that he'd twist everything around and make it sound worse than it was…though she had to admit that from his point of view, it probably was. At least it worked well that Stefan would take the news with a grain of salt. He knew that Damon could act and/or speak out in his anger.

Then again, based on the way Stefan had been acting lately, who knew how he would react to it? Until the night that he threatened to drive off Wickery Bridge with her in the car after force-feeding her his blood, she never once thought that he'd act against Klaus. He had no qualms about taking her life to get back at the hybrid, what would he do against Elijah?

It wasn't as if she even owed Stefan any answers! He hadn't spared any expense in turning her away time after time. After threatening to kill her, things were fairly, officially over between them. Whatever lingering feelings she felt for him, were just that, lingering. She would always treasure the time she spent with Stefan, but she couldn't imagine opening herself up to him again.

During the once familiar drive, her thoughts continued to war on in her head. It would have been so easy to just turn around and let Stefan find out from Damon. She didn't owe him any answers, not after what he'd done to her. But he really was one of the most important people in her life, didn't she owe him some in that respect?

Parking her car, she cautiously stepped out as she peered around for Damon's car. She hadn't been able to convince herself to turn around, but Damon would be the deciding factor. If he was anywhere around, she knew she wouldn't be able to deal with both Salvotore brothers at the same time. When his car was nowhere to be found her heart rate began to speed up. She'd almost wished for Damon to be there so she could drive on to the hospital.

Stepping up to the boarding house door, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Her heart began to pound as she anticipated his reaction to her revelation. She'd expected Damon's anger, and once upon a time, she would have correctly predicted Stefan's response. However, that ability had long since passed.

"Elena," Stefan greeted arching an eyebrow. She hadn't been around lately, so he was slightly surprised by seeing her standing at his door.

"Can we talk?" When he opened the door wider as a silent invitation, she shook her head. "Here's fine." She was afraid that if she agreed to go inside, they'd exchange meaningless words and her nerves would get the better of her before she had a chance to tell him everything. During the short drive to the boarding house, she'd nearly turned back to her house twice because of them.

Stefan only shrugged before joining her on the porch, closing the door behind him. "So…?"

"I don't have much time, I…I'm expecting a call from Alaric and I have to go pick him up. I just wanted…something's happened and-"

"Elena, stop rambling," Stefan interrupted. "What is it?" He watched as she began to fiddle with a loose string on her purse. When she bit her bottom lip, a habit she had when she was nervous, he knew that something was upsetting her. During the silence that settled over them, different scenarios began playing through his thoughts. She appeared to be more worried than frightened, so he figured that whatever it was couldn't have been life or death. "Elena, if you're going to struggle to speak, can we at least go inside and sit down?"

"I had sex with Elijah last night," Elena whispered through his question, bringing her head up to meet his eyes. She watched the impassive expression on his face harden, his mouth settling into a thin line as his eyes glittered in anger.

"Of course you did." If it wasn't Damon she was kissing, it would be someone else. He'd known that she would move on eventually, he'd pushed for it, but he'd been attempting to prepare himself for her relationship with his brother…not someone else. And sure as hell not Elijah Mikaelson!

When his mouth twisted up in a half smirk while the rest of his expression completely neutral, she sighed. "Stefan…I…"

His mouth pulled into a frown. "Why are you telling me this, Elena?" He could have gone without knowing about her sexual partners. They weren't together, and they didn't owe each other any answers.

"Because Damon found out this morning, and I thought you deserved to know from me…not second hand."

"Why? We aren't together, and we haven't been for a while. You don't owe me any answers." He sure as hell didn't want any, not if they involved her, having sex with…anyone.

Pursing her lips, she nodded in acknowledgment. "I know that we haven't been together for a while, but…there were still feelings there." He may have tried to turn them off completely, but they lingered. "If our roles were reversed and it was you moving on, I think I'd… No, I know that I'd feel upset if I learned it second hand."

Shaking his head, Stefan crossed his arms over his chest. "Is this like…are you asking for my permission?" His tone was cold and biting.

She shook her head. "No. I just…"

"Then what? Are looking for me to say something?" He bit out in the same bitter tone. "Well, I guess I should thank you for not spreading your legs for my brother. You'd think he'd be tired of my sloppy second by now," he finished with a detached tone of voice.

"It isn't like that," she jumped in, her patience thinning with his insult. While her actions with Elijah only furthered the complications in her relationships with the Salvatore brothers, he wasn't the only factor. "I just…you were once the most important person in my life, Stefan. And I thought that you deserved to know from me, before you heard anything from anyone else." She frowned at him. "But obviously I was wrong." Tearing her gaze away from him she pulled her purse higher up on shoulder as she attempted to calm her nerves. "Look, I had a pretty crappy night, and this morning isn't shaping up to be any better…"

Narrowing his gaze on her, he shrugged. "I'm sorry that Elijah wasn't a better lover for you."

She gaped at him. It wasn't the first time that he'd been so severe with her, but she really thought they were getting past that. Shaking her head, she yanked her keys from her purse. "I've had just about enough bruised egos that I can stand for the day. I'm not going to apologize for my actions, Stefan. And I didn't come here to hurt you in any way. For some…stupid reason, I felt that I owed it to you to tell you first. Next time, I won't bother." Spinning on her heels, she walked away from him, not bothering to spare the vampire a backwards glance.

"Well that's a relief!" Stefan called out after her departing figure.

* * *

"Ah, I've found you."

Elijah looked up from the papers he'd been searching through. Sparing Finn a quick nod, he turned his attention back to the papers before him. "Yes, well with the way things played out earlier, I thought it best to hide away for a while." While Klaus had mysteriously locked himself away in his room; Rebekah continued to stomp around the house, determined to remain in her bad mood. And even though Kol hadn't had a harsh word against him, he was growing annoyed with the younger man's smirks.

"While I know that I have been absent for several hundred years, I did not forget about your feelings for Tatia. I have also learned of your relationship with Katarina Patrova." He watched as his brother dropped the papers with frustration, though he wasn't sure if it was because of him or because the papers themselves. "Please tell me that this is more than a sort of fascination…"

His first reaction, was to glare at his brother for asking such a thing, Finn should know that he would never behave so cavalier without there being a reason for such. It was then that he realized that Finn couldn't know better, because he didn't know his siblings any longer. They lived nine hundred years without him, evolving to match the changing world around them. Running a hand through his hair, Elijah picked up a few sheets of paper and handed them to his brother. "It is more than that," he acknowledged. Giving Finn a chance to skim through the papers, he gracefully stood up and walked around the large desk before leaning against the front of it.

"Is this…? You are…? Are you certain?" Finn stumbled over his words and Elijah was quick to nod his acknowledgment to each inquiry. "How did this even happen, Elijah?" Other than his feelings for Tatia, Elijah didn't form attachments with his partners, so the fact that he marked this woman, was surprising.

Crossing his arms, the elder brother sighed. "I don't know," he admitted in a gruff tone. "I seduced Elena one afternoon. I never intended for anything to happen with her. When I met her, she was nothing more than a means to an end."

"And you went from intending to use her to seducing her how?"

"She captivated me."

"Yes, I gathered that since she shares the same face as Tatia," Finn supplied dryly.

Elijah shook his head. "It was rather more than that. I was not prepared to meet another doppelganger. If you can imagine, I was surprised, but I was resolved in the beginning. She was clever and brave, but it wasn't until she daggered me, that I realized that I had underestimated her." He noticed the way that Finn arched a single eyebrow and felt a small smile play at his lips. "When I made the decision to seduce her, I thought it would be nothing more than that. She was involved with Stefan Salvatore and I was fine with the way things were." He had it all planned out. They'd have their one afternoon, he'd give her the elixir that would bring her back to life after the sacrifice and then they'd go their separate ways.

"How did you go from seducing her into bed to marking her? I watched you seduce many women, but it was never more than that."

"Our coupling was more intense than it had ever been for me. I didn't even realize it until I had bitten her, and once I realized it, I released the skin. When the afternoon ended we were both prepared to put it behind us. The sacrifice happened, I was daggered, she died… There was no time to really think on it."

Handing the papers back to Elijah, Finn narrowed his eyes as he considered Elijah's story. "It has changed things for you…"

"Aye. My body calls to her. I took her last night, twice, and I had no intention to do so upon seeing her again." His desire for her rivaled the lust he felt upon first transitioning into a vampire. "She is so responsive to my touches, Finn." Just thinking about it caused his member to throb with desire.

"That could be from her inexperience," Finn suggested cautiously.

"Oh, I have no doubt in that," Elijah easily acknowledged. He did not mind that fact in any capacity. He looked forward to the things he would teach her; and even though she'd known the touch of another, he would consume every aspect of her sexuality. When he was through with her (as if that would ever happen) her most intimate parts would curve around him. "Yet when I touch that mark, it increases everything. I would almost swear it increases our urges."

"And you have turned to studying it?"

"I never thought that I would mark someone." He had never had the desire to, and over the span of his existence, he'd only seen markings a handful of times. "My ignorance has hindered me in this subject. How can I explain everything to her when I don't fully understand it myself?" Marking was an instinctual act for vampires. Elena, as a human, seemed to feel the same effects; they were lessened, but still there. However, all Elijah had to do was think about Elena and his penis hardened. His body ached for her. His body ached to complete the marking. "This was such a rare occurrence, and I have never heard of marking a human." Even if they completed the act, there would be differences. "She doesn't feel things with the same intensity that we do, she doesn't understand the primal instinct."

"You are worried that she will not want this," the younger brother observed. As humans, Elijah always put his family first. There were women; oh, there were women, but none of them meant anything to Elijah…until Tatia. Until she arrived, he never showed any genuine interest in them. Even then, she'd been a widowed mother of a youngling, and he'd been spellbound. While anyone had yet to really go into specifics about her, he knew that this doppelganger was the same age as Tatia when his brother met her.

"Not only is she human, but she is still young," Elijah mentioned, reminding his brother of one of the many factors against him and Elena.

Finn scoffed. "If she lived when we were human, she would be married with at least one child."

"Times have changed, Finn." He was amused by his brother's perspective. "People live much longer now than they ever have. Some couples don't have children until their late twenties or later." When he caught Finn's attentive gaze, he nodded. "Based on the laws in America today, Elena is not old enough to legally consume alcohol."

"These are strange times," Finn admitted with a shake of his head. "With all the knowledge and experience that these human possess, why do they shelter the young?"

* * *

Handing the waitress her menu, Elena offered the server a polite smile before she turned to look at her friends. She couldn't remember the last time that the three of them had met up for anything that didn't include the supernatural. The last time she'd spent time bonding with her best friends, had been to celebrate Caroline's birthday, and even then it had been haunted by their everyday lives.

Most teenagers looked forward to their weekends, but for her, she'd been ready for her weekend to end. After the ordeal with Alaric, and then her emotional confrontations with both Stefan and Damon, her weekend dragged on. After picking Alaric from the hospital the previous day, she'd been emotionally exhausted and she wanted nothing more than to hide away from the world. She was half tempted to call Elijah for both nothing and everything, but she refused to be the first person to break radio silence. Instead, she settled on laying low for the remainder of her weekend before making plans with Bonnie and Caroline.

Her relationship with Elijah had intensified greatly. He'd gone from one position to another within a matter of minutes. Not only had he managed to seduce her body, but he'd begun to chip away at her heart. Despite the fact that he managed to touch her body as if he was a master musician fine tuning his interment, she would not be the one to cave and call him. She didn't want to come off as clingy to him, and she refused to appear as such. It was difficult though. So many times, she'd wanted to call him.

She wasn't exactly looking for the go-ahead from anyone, but she desperately needed to hear something other than the fact that Elijah was evil, that his family was evil. She needed the perspective from someone that wasn't so emotionally invested with her. Damon and Stefan were both nursing bruised egos, and because of that, she didn't place a lot of stock in their words. At least with Caroline and Bonnie, she could expect the truth, no matter how much she didn't like it.

"So…why are we meeting up again?" Caroline asked after they finished ordering their food. When she noticed the looks she received from her friends, she offered them a smile. "Not that I mind," she added with a sheepish shrug. "It's just been a while since you called us to just hang out, Elena. Or well, if we aren't dealing with some sort of supernatural thing or trying to cheer each other up over a supernatural thing…"

While Bonnie felt the same confusion as Caroline upon receiving Elena's call, she wouldn't have questioned Elena's intentions. Of the three of them, Caroline had always been the most outspoken. She asked things that most people didn't, and Bonnie didn't know if it was because she was born without a filter that separated her thoughts from her mouth, or if she just didn't care.

"It has been a while since we've just…hung out," Elena agreed. "It almost feels weird doesn't it?" No one was near death or under the threat of death.

Bonnie nodded. "It…really does," the witch agreed after a pregnant pause. "But I can't say it's a bad thing. I could have used you guys these past few days," she admitted softly.

"Is everything not okay with your mom?" Caroline asked.

Elena turned a concerned gaze on Bonnie. "I thought that you two would have been well into the bonding?" She asked.

Shrugging her shoulders, Bonnie stopped to consider the best words. "I'm trying, it's just difficult. I mean it's the woman that I'm supposed to call 'mom,' but she's like a stranger to me. Grams was the only mother that I've ever really known and I don't know if I can just look past everything." She knew that she'd always been harsh when it came to her judgments, but it served her well through the years. It always ensured that she would be protected from hurt and heartache. "The only thing we have in common is the craft, and even then our conversations are stilted."

"Bonnie, it's my fault that she left," Elena broke in softly. "My parents were the one who put her in that situation."

"But it doesn't explain away her reasons for never coming home," Bonnie denied easily. "I can't look past that." Pausing in her words, she looked at each of her companions, both who had suffered the loss of a parent, or both. "And I know that I must sound like the biggest asshole to both of you."

Caroline instantly shook her head as he placed a comforting hand over Bonnie's. "My father left me too," she reminded her friend. "I was just as cautious as you, and if things hadn't worked out the way they had, who knows how handled my relationship with him."

Elena preferred to keep her thoughts quiet on that subject. On one hand, she could see where Bonnie was coming from. Abby had essentially abandoned her and she had every reason to have her reservations where the elder Bennett was concerned. But on the other hand, she had her mother for the first time since she could remember. Instead of embracing that fact, she hid from it. She had no idea how lucky she was to have her mother back. Moving towards more neutral territory, Elena cleared her throat. "Have you thought about telling Abby how you feel?"

"I did, the night I found her." It was part of the reason why Elena and Stefan left the two Bennett witches alone.

The brunette shook her head. "No, I mean, since bringing her back here after spending time with her," she clarified. "Have you unloaded since then?"

"No," Bonnie confessed. "I want to, but then I'm afraid that I'll say or do something wrong and she'll run from me again."

Squeezing Bonnie's hand in her own, Caroline gathered her attention. "You'll never feel truly happy until you do," she predicted. "This feeling will only fester into resentment down the road if you don't." While she still felt robbed of her father, she found piece in the knowledge that they were able to come to terms with their relationship before his death. She knew that if they hadn't, there was a good chance that she would have been haunted by it for the rest of her life. "It won't be easy, but you have every right to tell her how you feel. And if she does run from you, then you don't need that kind of person in your life."

"And we'll be there to support you, no matter what," Elena added.

"I'll think about it," she agreed. It was all she could promise at that point in time. Forcing a bright smile and the conversation to the back of her thoughts, she looked from the blonde towards the brunette. "Okay, so onto a different subject…" She left her statement open ended to turn the attention away from herself.

"How's Alaric doing?" Caroline asked turning towards Elena. "And before you answer, I can't believe you didn't call us to tell us what had happened," she chided softly.

"Everything was such a blur," Elena defended weakly as she looked between her friends. When they both wore matching expressions of disbelief she sighed. "I didn't want to bother you guys," she excused weakly. At the time, her reasons sounded good to her own ears, but she doubted it would fly with either of them. "Bonnie, you just got your mom back, and Caroline, after your dad…I figured that you both had enough to deal with."

"You just finished telling me that I would have your support in this situation with Abby," Bonnie reminded her softly. "Why won't you let us support you?"

"I know," the brunette agreed grudgingly. "I really am working on it, it's sort of the reason why I asked you guys out. But Alaric is fine, his ring made sure of it," she informed them, not mentioning the fact that she'd had to kill him to jumpstart the healing process. "Your mom still doesn't have a suspect, does she?"

"No," Caroline hedged uneasily. "And she doesn't think that it's over. She actually asked me to talk to you, Elena." When Elena offered her an expectant look, she continued on. "She mentioned that, and I totally agree; that maybe you should find somewhere else to sleep."

Elena frowned. "Excuse me?"

"It's just…you're alone more often than not," Caroline rushed to explain. "And I know that Alaric agreed to stay and be a guardian to you and Jeremy, but he sleeps more at his apartment than your house…"

"Well, yeah," Elena hedged. "And I can see why she's concerned, but why would the suspect return to the scene of the crime? I've already changed the locks on my doors and Alaric installed a security system." The fact that Alaric was attacked in her house, was still unsettling, but they'd taken precautions. "Besides, vampires spend more time at my house than most humans. I think I have enough protection," she added in a whisper, conscious of the fact that they were in a public place.

"I'm sorry for intruding," a male voice broke in then. "I am new in town and I wanted to introduce myself."

Elena watched as an attractive brunette looked from both Bonnie and Caroline with casualness before settling his interest on her. Next to her, she felt Caroline stiffen, a rare occasion in itself. Normally, Caroline was friendly to new faces in town; more specifically to handsome new faces. No, if she was reacting in such a way, then something must be wrong with him.

"The name is Kol," he extended, obviously expecting their names in reply.

"I'm Bonnie," she introduced, holding out her hand for him to shake. "And this is Caroline," Bonnie said gesturing towards the blonde. She took notice of the fact that while he didn't reach for her hand, he nodded in a polite manner. "And that's Elena."

Sweeping his gaze past her friends, Kol turned on his most charming smile. "Elena, what a beautiful name," he complimented, testing her name on his lips. Taking her hand in his, he brought it to his mouth and placed a kiss upon it. "And just as lovely as your predecessors I see." Her eyes widened and she yanked her hand from his. Letting her hand go, his smile turned into amusement when he realized how uncomfortable he'd made her feel. "So you're the one causing trouble for my brothers…" She opened her mouth to reply, but he simply shook his head. "Oh, don't worry about it, darling. If it wasn't you, it would be something else." Pausing to look from one girl to another, he tilted his head. "Ladies, it was a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to our next encounter."

"Who the hell was that?" Caroline asked as she watched the attractive brunette leave the restaurant. Once he was out of sight, she turned to Elena with an expectant gaze. She hadn't missed the words he'd said to her friend. "And don't think I didn't hear him," she reminded the human pointedly. "What did he mean about his brothers? What brothers? What did you do?"

Turning her attention back to her friends, Bonnie wore a thoughtful expression on her face. While his coloring was different, he had similar features to Elijah. "He's one of the brothers that Klaus kept daggered, isn't he?"

"I guess," she hedged. Based on the things that he'd mentioned in nonchalance, it made sense, which brought her to the reason why she'd invited her friends… Elena let out a weary sigh. "This was part of the other reason why I wanted to get together with you, but I wasn't expecting such an introduction for this," she confessed in a small voice. She waited until she had the undivided attention of both of her friends before she continued on. "Something happened the night I took Elijah to the hospital. It was the same night that Damon and Stefan had dinner with Klaus and Elijah."

"Yeah," Caroline nodded. "I remember wondering how Damon would manage getting Stefan there."

"And during the night, Elijah un-daggered the rest of his siblings," the doppelganger added. "I ran into Rebekah…literally, when I was leaving the hospital. She was ready to kill me, she tried to, but Elijah saved me. And then…we sort of had sex in an alley," she mumbled as she pulled her eyes away from her friends.

"Excuse me?!"

"You did what?"

Upon hearing their simultaneous reactions to her revelation, she shifted in her seat uncomfortably as she looked around the room before giving them each a pointed look as if to remind them that they were in public and she didn't want other people in her business.

"So…how was it?" Caroline asked after a pregnant pause.

The question pulled Bonnie from her shock and she reprimanded the blonde for her question.

"What?" Caroline demanded quietly. "At his age, just imagine how much experience he has under his belt," she excused easily. While he wasn't exactly her type, she could easily admit that he was one of the most attractive beings she'd ever met. "He probably knows every way possible to bring his women to orgasm."

Scrunching her nose, she was reminded of Damon's words a few days earlier. "Um…yeah," Elena cleared her throat. "He took me home and we talked for a while. He ended up staying the night."

"You did it again, didn't you?" Caroline prodded, eager to hear the details. When Elena's face turned an interesting shade of pink, she waggled her eyebrows playfully. "And you enjoyed it."

It wasn't as if she required any permission from her friends, but Elena had grown to value their opinions. Whenever she felt torn about something, she knew that they could often lead her back to her heart. Considering the fact that Caroline joked about it, she knew she was unfazed by it. However, Bonnie hadn't said anything since reprimanding Caroline for her first reaction. "Bonnie? You haven't said anything."

"What does it mean?" She studied her friend, watching as she tried to come up with an answer. "I've seen that look on your face before." It reminded her of gaze Elena used to get in her eye when she would talk about Stefan. "This is something more than a casual encounter."

Elena had the sense to look away from Bonnie's probing gaze, but didn't bother to deny her words. How could she? It was more than a casual fling. Even if there was no marking, something told her that her feelings for Elijah would have evolved. Bringing her gaze back up to Bonnie, she shrugged. "I don't know what it means, but I do want to explore it."

Sighing, the witch leaned forward towards the brunette. "We went to go find Abby so that we could unlock that coffin and use it against Klaus. Do you really think that Elijah will just step aside so that you can kill his brother?" She wanted to be happy for her friend, and if it had been anyone else, she could have been. Elena deserved it, after all the pain she'd gone through the last few months. Getting involved with the Originals had brought them nothing but trouble, how could she overlook that?

"Obviously there are still things that we need to discuss," Elena agreed stiffly. "I don't know what all of this means for us as a couple," she lied. She had wanted to tell them all about the mark that Elijah had left and the implications of it, at least what she knew of it. However, she found herself holding back upon seeing their reactions. While Caroline didn't appear to have any issues with what had been revealed, Bonnie seemed unable to find any happiness or support for her. "And I really wanted your support in this."

Bonnie pushed her chair back. "I'm sorry, Elena, but I don't think I can," she confessed softly. Her declaration gathered the attention from both of her friends. "I can't help but feel as if you're asking for a broken heart, and I won't stand by and watch it."

"And if it was that, it would be my mistake," the brunette reminded. "Why can't you just be there for me, should I need you?"

"Because you're making a mistake, Elena."

Caroline looked between her friends, her sympathy for Elena faded away to confusion by Bonnie's words. "Bonnie…"

Standing up, the witch didn't spare the vampire a look. "I'm sorry, Elena. I really am, but it changes nothing." She would continue on with their plan to get rid of Klaus, with or without her help.

Elena and Caroline turned to watch Bonnie leave the restaurant. Caroline grabbed her purse and stood up. "I'll go talk to her." Leaning down she hugged her friend. "She'll come around eventually, she did for me."

The brunette simply nodded her head, but she couldn't find any conviction to place behind her action. Bonnie had only been able to do so because Caroline had been her best friend. Even after years of working on the same side, Bonnie still detested Damon, and remained unsure about Stefan.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you.

Ellavm18: Hoping you enjoy this next one.

Mfmxxx: Yeah, they were friends, but Stefan was also different at that time in the show. He had kept his emotions turned off, so he didn't see things the way that he once would have.

Aurora Space: Glad you liked chapter 3. Yeah, I wasn't sure how I liked the Esther/Klaus conversation, but I don't want her evil in this, you know? And I thought that anything less than a bonding moment between them (because Klaus is Klaus) that it would cause the readers to question it. And I'm glad that you liked the way I wrote Damon and Stefan. I wasn't sure if people would like that. Even as far as I've written ahead, Elijah still hasn't given Elena an answer about it, but there will be more Finn and Elijah bonding. As for Bonnie, I don't care much for her either. I always want to make her bad, but for some reason I just can't. She will eventually be redeemed.

Author's Note: So…I didn't get as many reviews in this last chapter that I thought I would have, flames for my characterizations or otherwise. I guess I can't complain about the lack of flames. I only mention this, because I do play with the group a little more in this chapter. And before you guys say something about their attitudes, I'm working on the idea that Damon and Stefan (as much as he could be) are both reacting in anger at this moment in time.

* * *

Chapter 5

With a light blanket wrapped around her shoulders, Elena tucked her feet under her body and sipped her hot tea. After her disastrous lunch with Bonnie and Caroline, she'd spent the rest of her day lost in her thoughts. Upon returning home, she was able to stumble through her homework, but only because she knew the material like the back of her hand. She called Alaric to check on him and they had a quick conversation and once she hung up, she turned her phone off for the rest of her evening.

When a pair of headlights turned into her driveway, Elena took a deep breath. Since her phone had been off, she wasn't expecting any visitors, and she didn't have a guess as to who it was. Damon hadn't attempted to contact her since their conversation and Stefan had studiously ignored her in school. Bonnie would need more time before she even dared approach Elena, so she was able to rule three possibilities out…at least she hoped. She wasn't looking forward to a round two with any of them.

Stepping around the corner, he studied her form. Not missing the way that Elena seemed to sag in relief when she recognized him, he walked closer, stopping on the top step of the stairs that led to her porch. "You didn't call," he observed in an overly easy manner. When she shrugged, he frowned at her.

"You didn't call either," she replied with a similar tone as she met his gaze.

After leaving her house Saturday morning, he hadn't expected to go so long without one form of communication with her or another. He was so sure that she would have at least called him once, even if it had just been to see how his day had gone. How was it that she didn't feel the same tug in her heart that he felt? The previous day and a half had been more difficult than he anticipated. She'd been a constant presence in his thoughts and more than once he'd been tempted to visit her so that the tugging would lessen. Was it not the same for her? He had anticipated there being a difference in their reactions to the marking, but her silence seriously irritated him.

"So I understand that my brother took it upon himself to introduce himself to you…" He left the statement open for her, watching for her reaction.

Looking back into her coffee cup, she nodded. "Yes, and thanks to him, I had to tell Bonnie and Caroline about you before I was ready to."

He'd known the moment that he looked at her that something was off with her. While she wasn't an overly happy person, she wasn't usually so subdued either. Closing the distance between them, he kneeled before her. "And what are you drinking?"

She shrugged. "Tea." She'd almost been tempted to pull out the stash of alcohol that Alaric left there when he stayed over, but she didn't want to deal with a hangover the following morning. She showed him the contents of her mug.

Inhaling the scent, Elijah wrinkled his nose, a move that couldn't hide his distaste. "That is not tea," he scoffed. When it appeared that Elena seemed to be throwing herself a pity party, he stood up and extended his hands.

Looking up at him, she frowned. "What are you doing?"

He gently grabbed the cup from her hand before pulling her into a standing position. "I'm going to make you a decent cup of tea." However, instead of leading her into the house, he pulled her closer against his body. When she seemed to melt against his form, he folded his arms around her. "Your friends didn't take the news well, did they?"

"No," she confessed in a small voice. Her eyes closed and she inhaled his scent; crisp and clean, mint and a hint of cologne, a scent that was only his. It enveloped her, soothing her nerves like nothing else had. "They're angry."

Elijah tightened his embrace around her as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm sorry." And he meant it. Based on the reactions of Klaus and Rebekah, he'd known that she would have an equally difficult time with her friends. It was yet another reason why he'd been expecting her to call him.

"It isn't fair," she spoke, her eyes still tightly shut. "It isn't as if we asked for this." There was no way he could have possibly wanted to be so closely entwined with her. Seriously, what could she possibly offer that he couldn't get anywhere else after hundreds of years of experience?

As soon as she spoke, he felt his heart tighten in alarm. While it wasn't done in the best way, he knew that in some way, he'd claimed her. It may have been done through his instinctive side, but it was done. For him, there was no one else. As a human, Elena had the choice of someone, but he didn't. "Are you regretting what has taken place between us?"

The question caused her to pull away from him. Catching her bottom lip in her teeth, Elena nibbled on it. "Yes…" When she noticed his eyes darken and his lips thin out, she shook her head. "No…I mean…maybe? All I know is that I didn't ask for this, and it isn't as if you really wanted this…me. It isn't right that you are tied to me and I hate that this has become something more than us."

Attempting to understand her words and the things that were implied in between the lines, he offered her a forced, yet understanding, smile. "Elena, while I do wish that this situation had not come to such a price for you, I do not regret this." He bit back he lie that was on the tip of his tongue, knowing that to do so would only further complicate things further in the long run.

"You don't?" Her eyes searched his, seeking the truth that lay behind them.

Using his free hand, he brushed her cheek. "I cannot." Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on her forehead. She was obviously confused by their situation, and the last thing he wanted was to further complicate things by confessing his own feelings concerning her actions. "May I show you how a proper cup of tea is supposed to taste now?" He made sure to keep his voice light as he forced the subject change.

"Right now, I would like nothing more," she replied, thankful for his topic change. She still felt a niggling in the back of her mind, worried that she'd upset him, but she pushed it away.

* * *

"If this is supposed to be a meeting, then how come Elena isn't here?" Alaric asked as he looked around the living room. Elena was always present at these things, Damon and Stefan always made sure of it. He'd noticed that Damon, Stefan and Bonnie were especially quiet while Caroline looked almost uncomfortable, something she never was.

Stepping forward, Damon took a swig of his drink before shaking his head. "Elena's been compromised," he sneered as he finished his drink. Taking comfort in the burn in his throat as he swallowed the amber liquid, he ignored the other occupants of the room.

"Excuse me, she's been what?" Alaric asked with his brow furrowed. Surely he was being overdramatic. Moving his gaze from one person to the next, he took notice of the solemnity in Bonnie's expression while Stefan had the same austere expression. The only person who seemed to be neutral was Caroline, whom offered him a sad smile. He focused on her for a moment. She seemed hesitant to even be there.

Damon chuckled darkly as he finished pouring drinks, a refill for him and one for Alaric. "Yes, she's gone over to the dark side." He extended a glass towards the hunter.

Narrowing his gaze, the teacher attempted to read further into Damon's words. While he and Damon had formed a sort of friendship, the man was still a dog. He'd seen firsthand the way that he treated women, both casual acquaintances and his lovers. It was still an unspoken subject between them, but he knew that Damon's feelings for Elena were more than platonic. He never asked, not wanting to touch base on the subject, but the vampire appeared to be bitter, jealous almost.

"Okay, I don't know what happened between the two of you," he began with a wince, "but your anger and resentment is just-"

"She had sex with Elijah," Stefan broke in before the man could continue. Normally, he'd be right there with Alaric, ready to call Damon out for his actions. Because Damon had always been the one to act before thinking, speak before thinking. He was led by his emotions more often than not and his reactions were usually as such.

"I'm sorry, I thought…I don't think I heard you right." Once again his gaze moved from one person to another.

Damon smirked. "And if you wear that expression on your face for a few days longer, you'll know how I reacted."

Clearing his throat, Alaric shook his head. There were some things that he just didn't need to know, and Elena having sex, was one of them. Not only did he feel like a pervert for even associating such an act with her, he looked on her as family. She wasn't quite considered a daughter of sorts; but he'd been married to her biological mother and had a serious relationship with her aunt, so it was enough for his protective instincts to kick in. As bad as it was to think about the things she did with Stefan when they were dating or Damon's interest in her, hearing that she and Elijah…was almost shudder inducing.

"Guys, this isn't a meeting to discuss Elena's…preference in…men," Caroline sighed. She felt out of sorts the moment she entered the room. Other than the clueless Alaric, the rest of them held varying degrees of anger and resentment for Elena. On one hand, she understood their concern and anger; but on the other hand, Elena already appeared confused and guilty for her actions. She hated the fact that she was part of a gathering that could ultimately ruin Elena's happiness.

"No, it's about getting her back into her right mind," Damon clarified.

Stepping forward, Bonnie rolled her eyes at the dark haired vampire. "This recent…development changes nothing. We go on as planned and take care of Klaus, once and for all."

"A plan that Elena was once a part of," Stefan reminded the witch in a calm voice. "Do you really think that she will keep her mouth shut and let us continue with it without mentioning anything to her…" he couldn't even cough out the relationship. "Elijah?" Their plan would be shot if she opened her mouth.

Bonnie shook her head. "We may have to rework a few things, but it changes nothing. Klaus was responsible for his mother's death, and I refuse to believe that she is willing to forgive him for such an act." After placing the blame on someone else and manipulating those around him, there was no way that Klaus could walk away scotch-free. He'd been responsible for so many atrocious things, surely someone was looking for payback. Elijah was on board with them at one time, his siblings were ready to exact revenge against their hybrid brother, how had things changed so drastically?

"Not everyone is as unforgiving as you," the elder Salvatore said as he offered an insincere smile.

She narrowed her eyes on him. "Excuse me?"

Stepping in before things could progress; Caroline placed a calming hand on Bonnie's shoulders. "Enough you two," she chided gently. "We need a new plan if we're going to do anything, so instead of trading insults, how about we work together to come up with one?"

"Just like that?" Alaric asked, pushing the recent revelation about Elena aside. When he noticed the disbelieving looks he received, he held his hands up in surrender. "I agree that Klaus needs to be taken care of, and I have no qualms about that, but you are all putting Elena in a difficult position and when push comes to shove, are you willing to accept her decision when you find out where her loyalty may fall?" He understood the anger and betrayal they felt, but if they acted too hasty, it could hinder them more than hurt them.

"She'll come back to herself, she has to," Damon replied, ignoring Alaric's concern. "We're the ones that have been with her through everything these past couple years."

Caroline nibbled on her bottom lip. "Alaric has a point," she offered unsurely, focusing on best friend. "She's always supported you, Bonnie, supported us. Are you ready to accept that she may not forgive you if you follow through with whatever plan that is hatched?" She turned to look at Stefan. "And I know that you guys aren't together anymore, but from where I'm standing, that's because of the decisions you made. I get that things weren't fair, and I'm sure that you still care about her in some way, but is that feeling controlling you now?" Shaking her head, she sighed. "Because if it is, she may not forgive you for this."

"And where do you get off being so high and mighty?" Damon scoffed when he watched the fire in his brother's eyes die out. Bonnie's resolve also seemed to have wavered. "You were just as eager as the rest of us for this. After all, isn't Klaus the reason why your little boyfriend left in the first place?"

She stiffened in response. "I haven't forgotten anything," she spat. "But right now, this isn't about Klaus, it's about Elena. If we do act against them, it may just blow up in our faces. I just don't know if…I don't want…I'm trying to see things from every angle." She was hesitant in the fact that she may have to sacrifice in one way or another just to best Klaus. It didn't sit well with her.

"Until you opened your mouth, we were all raring to go," Damon muttered as she stared at the blonde vampire. He turned back to Bonnie before settling on his brother. "Elena will eventually forgive us, she has to. We're the ones who have been there for her, helped her through everything," he said, repeating his earlier words. "Just because she's shagging an Original, it doesn't erase all the things that we've gone through with her." Elena would see it that way, he was sure of it.

* * *

"I really needed this," Elena confessed in a small voice as she stared at the empty cup of tea. "You," she clarified as she looked at him. Leaning closer to him, she placed a kiss on his cheek, unsure if he'd desire more after what she'd said earlier on her porch. Moving slowly, Elena pulled away from him and got up to wash out the cup of tea that he prepared for her. Disappointment surged through her when he didn't respond to her, verbally or bother to touch her in some way. Trying to keep a brave façade, she pushed the negativity away. She didn't know what she expected, given the fact that she'd essentially told him she regretted what happened between them.

She hadn't meant it, her words. By that time, her nerves had been shot, and her resentment, not at him, but in general, had taken a front seat. She was angry with her friends, or more specifically, Bonnie. Bonnie had always been judgmental, but not with her…at least not like she'd been at lunch that day. She hated the way that Bonnie could never just be happy for someone; they had to be judged first…until she could determine if whatever occurrence was good or bad. She hated that she couldn't depend upon her friends for guidance or support.

Then she supposed that she considered Bonnie's observation. Just how could things work between them? They couldn't, could they? He was nearly a thousand years older than her, he was a vampire where she was a human. Hell, three members of his family hated her enough to either kill her or attempt to kill her, and those were only a few things that separated them. Elena hated that she was put in that position, that Elijah put her in that position, even if he didn't remember making the decision to do so. She hated that he seemed so unaffected while she was losing friends left and right.

And yet, she still found herself desiring him. She'd been tempted so many times over the past days to call him. She'd wanted nothing more than to lose herself in him. Even if there was no physical connection between them, just _him_ being near her could sooth her nerves. The moment that he'd approached her, she had wanted nothing more than to pull him down and crawl in his lap, but she'd forced herself to behave. She certainly didn't need her neighbors gossiping more than she was sure they already did. Despite the way in which their lives were entwined, he appeared to be an adult, and she was still nothing more than a teenager.

"Now that's what I like to hear," Elijah said, coming up behind her. His hands moved to the counter as his front became flushed against her backside.

Understanding that he'd just metaphorically met her half way, Elena felt her body relaxing against his. However, instead of melting into him, she continued to wash the dishes that littered the kitchen sink. "You were right before, you are the master tea maker," she said, going for a neutral topic.

"And it is such a coveted role," he jested back with a small smile playing on his lips. His hands settled on her waist, gently squeezing the skin underneath them as she finished her task. It wasn't until she set the last utensil down on the towel that he wrapped his arms around her body. "Are you better now?"

Bringing her hands up, she settled them over his arms as she turned her head. "I'm so sorry for earlier, Elijah."

Nodding against her head, he felt his body sag in relief. Despite the fact that he attempted to keep things light between them after their conversation on her porch, he felt a near paralyzing fear that she meant her words. It wasn't until he heard her apology, he felt his nerves uncoil. Releasing his arms from her, he moved her around to face him. "Perhaps we should move to the couch?" He suggested, knowing that their conversation would be a long one.

Elena nodded uneasily. "Yeah, maybe we should," she agreed with a distance in her voice.

"We're going to talk, Elena, not face a war," he chided gently, sensing the hesitance in her words.

Nodding, she felt a small smile break over her face. "I know," and she did. "It's just…after earlier, I feel embarrassed. And it's nothing you did," she rushed to clarify. "I guess I'm feeling more…flustered than I thought I would."

Grabbing her hand in his, he laced their fingers together. With his gaze never wavering from hers, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Let's sit, inamorata," he proposed, pulling her in the direction of the living room.

Waiting until they were both seated comfortably, facing one another, she spoke. "Again, I am so sorry for my words tonight."

"They were heavy words indeed," he agreed in a serious tone. "Elena, I need to know, do you regret this, whatever situation we may find ourselves in?" He understood that her emotions had run away from her earlier, and he didn't blame her for it. However, her words rested heavy on his heart, and he needed to know, since she seemed to be in a better place emotionally.

Falling into his intense stare, she kept the expression on her face heartfelt. "No."

Letting out a sigh of relief that he didn't know he was holding, he offered her a small smile. "I am relieved to hear it. About earlier…"

"I had a bad day, or rather, a bad few days," she admitted in a small voice, hating that she reacted like someone her age would. Would he find her immaturity a problem? "After you left, Damon came over. He…smelt it…us, sex. And I didn't tell him exactly what was going on, but I didn't lie either." She waited to see if he would interrupt, but he kept silent. "And then after he left, I was ready to blow off the conversation, but he can be such a…hot head. I didn't want him saying anything to Stefan, because I knew he would blow it out of proportion." Nibbling on her bottom lip, she exhaled. "I didn't want that kind of news to get around to Stefan before I had a chance to tell him myself."

With an even tone of voice he spoke. "I can understand that," he grudgingly admitted.

"He was important to me, Elijah," she confessed in a whisper. "When I was with Stefan, I knew that we wouldn't have a normal life together, but when I looked in my future, he was there." She shifted uncomfortably, hating telling Elijah that. She could only imagine how awful her words would be for him, because if their roles were reversed and he was telling her about a former lover of his, she'd feel jealous. "He was there for me for years, helped me, protected me. I know that things are different between us now, but the past is still there. And I know that if it was him moving on with someone else, I'd rather hear about it from him than someone else."

He couldn't deny the fact that he hated listening to her describe her relationship with Stefan. He hated that the two had once been so close, just the thought of Elena sharing such an important relationship with someone else caused his blood to boil. Yet, he couldn't fault her for it. She didn't feel their connection the same way he did, and lord knew he'd had his own more than fair share of lovers. No, he didn't blame her for wanting to speak to Stefan herself, in fact, it made him respect her more…when he wasn't thinking about certain aspects of her relationship with the younger Salvatore. If she didn't feel that need, she wouldn't have been the girl he had fallen for.

"After he came back to Mystic Falls, he was different, distant. And after so many months of trying to get through to him, I thought that I had no other choice than to move on, that I had the right to move on. While I thought that he may still have…a whisper of affection for me, I didn't think he'd be so angry, you know?" She wasn't really expecting a response from the Original. "And I get that he was upset, I might have been too, if he had been the one to move on first."

"And your friends?" Elijah inquired, ready to move on from the Salvatores. When he associated either of them with Elena, a murderous rage tended to build up.

"Caroline wasn't as judgy as the others. She was more playful than anything, it was a great way to break the ice, but Bonnie was…" Shaking her, she offered her companion a small smile. "She wasn't quite so nice. She doesn't understand, which I can't blame her for. And while you aren't your brother, you did turn your back on the deal you'd made with them. Bonnie doesn't forgive easily."

"Did you speak to them about the mark?"

She shook her head. "No. I wanted to, and I was trying to figure out a way to, but then Bonnie said what she did. And I knew that I couldn't tell them, her." She wouldn't put it past Bonnie to use it against her in whatever way she could. "And what could I possibly say? That afternoon wasn't exactly my shining moment," she muttered. At the time she'd already been in a relationship with someone else, and she'd cheated on him. "And I just…couldn't deal with her, knowing exactly what she'd say…or maybe it was me being a coward," she added softly. "I have been thinking about my conversation with them, all of them, and I was feeling bitter over their reactions to me…us. And when you showed up, you were so cool and calm, and I was angry that you weren't affected by this."

Sighing, he adjusted his position. "When have you ever known me to lose my composure?" He asked gently. He'd always been the perfect example of calm. When he entered into a situation, he always kept a cool façade. It was an art that had been perfected over the years.

"I can think of a few times," she reminded him as she arched one eyebrow. She smiled when he smirked at her.

"Aside from then," he clarified with a small smile. "I tend to keep my feelings to myself. I've learned over the years that emotional reactions can be used against you, and I don't wish to be viewed in that way. I have not exactly had it easy at home, Elena. Rebekah is furious with me, and Klaus is less than pleased."

Her brows furrowed in confusion as a frown pull at her mouth. "And why does Klaus think he has a say in this?"

"You are the doppelganger, Elena. It's your blood that will serve to continue on with his hybrid line, not just yours, but that of any children you may bear. Children that I can't give you," he finished gently. "If I was anyone else, he wouldn't be so opposed," hell, Klaus would probably supply the bed and any aphrodisiacs that may be needed. "He sees me, us, as an obstacle to his plans."

"Well, it's a good thing that we aren't looking for his approval then," she muttered darkly. Rebekah's reaction, she understood. After all, she and the blonde Original hadn't exactly been friends, a status that she was sure would never happen after her actions the night of the dance. She regretted her actions, now more than ever after this recent development with Elijah; but at the time she thought she was doing what was best for the situation.

"And it isn't as if you need the approval of your friends," he gently reminded her, keeping a neutral expression on his face.

She nodded, she knew. She was just finding it difficult to embrace. No matter what situations had risen in her life, she'd always had her friends to help her through it. "What about the rest of your family?"

"Finn is the only one who sought me out to speak to me about this. Of all my siblings, he was always the understanding one. Finn always had had the ability to see a situation from multiple angles before making a decision about it."

"And he doesn't have a problem?"

"Of all my siblings, he will be the most supportive." It was the one certainty he had.

"And your mother…?" She trailed off, attempting to smile. She still hadn't disclosed the fact that his mother had tried to kill her the night that the spirits returned to Mystic Falls. She never thought that the Original mother would be released from the spirit world and it was something that she attempted to push out of her thoughts. Because of her, Matt faced a difficult situation that he should never have had to deal with.

He felt his interest piqued with her inquiry. He hadn't forgotten about her reaction to the revelation that his mother was back from the dead. "Elena, I can't help but feel as if there's something you haven't told me concerning my mother."

"Elijah, I don't think it's relevant now," she denied uneasily. While Elijah hadn't come out and share it, she knew that there was a sense of elation by being reunited with his siblings and mother. She didn't want to be the one responsible for bringing that to an end.

"I beg to differ, based on your body's reaction when she is mentioned," he observed wryly. "I hold no illusions, Elena. While she is my mother, I know exactly what she's capable of." He sensed that her hesitance had something to do with letting him down, but she needed to realize that they couldn't hold back with one another. "What happened to make you react this way? I know she has not approached you since our reunion."

Taking a deep breath, she shared the events that had taken place that night. She attempted to keep neutral as she spoke of Vicky's actions against her, of the promises that were made to the human whose life was robbed. When it came to Matt's dilemma, her voice wavered, her guilt slipping through.

"My mother…" Elijah shook his head, unable to process his thoughts. No wonder she felt uncomfortable telling him about her previous encounter with his mother.

"I'm so sorry, Elijah. I didn't want to tell you." She placed a hand over his and gently squeezed it. "I didn't think I'd ever have to think on this again." When she began to pull her hand away, he lifted his other hand to cover hers. "I didn't know how to tell you."

"You have no reason to apologize," he denied. "You have been through so much because of my family…" Christ. What could he possibly say to her that would make up for any of it?

Instead of saying anything, Elena waited for him to gather his wits about him.

* * *

Meeting Alaric's gaze from across the room, Caroline sighed. Since their decision to brainstorm for another course of action, she and Alaric remained mostly silent as the rest of the group argued amongst one another. Damon was still venting over Elena while Bonnie and Stefan argued over their own ideas. After trying several times to keep things calm, and failing, Caroline gave up. Since then, she remained silent, knowing that none of them wanted to hear ideas.

The fact of the matter was, after Alaric's observations earlier that night, her resolve weakened. Klaus had been responsible for so many things in the seemingly short amount of time that he'd arrived in Mystic Falls, there was no denying it. Yet, she didn't feel comfortable sacrificing Elena, in whatever way, just to get rid of him.

Moving across the room unnoticed, she claimed a seat next to the history teacher. "I would have assumed that you would be right there with the others," she confessed in a soft voice.

Alaric shrugged. "I don't like the situation that Elena placed herself in, but they are still working through their own anger issues at the moment." He knew that nothing of importance would come about from their united anger, at least not at that point in time. They would need to put their emotions aside if they wanted to come up with a viable plan.

"I still can't believe that this happened, that she would sleep with him." Elena wasn't the sort for casual flings. If she had gone all the way with the Original, then it meant something. She was afraid to ask what that something was. "Alaric, what if this is something more than just a casual thing?"

Sighing, Alaric ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, I've already considered that. It was the reason why I spoke up earlier. How come you aren't as upset as Bonnie?"

Caroline shrugged as she turned to watch her friend, verbally sparring against Damon. "It's going to be a long night," she muttered with a tired sigh. "I still have my judgments and reservations, but Bonnie spoke enough for both of us today. You should have seen Elena, Rick."

"It was bad then?"

The blonde nodded. "I don't blame everyone for wanting to be rid of Klaus. He's brought nothing by destruction since the first day of his arrival. He's acted against all of us to further his own selfish desires. He's hurt all of us in one way or another, and he does deserve to pay for that."

"You don't sound as resolved as you did earlier," he observed.

She offered a sad smile. "I am, but I don't think this is the way." At least it wasn't where Elena was concerned, not at her expense.

"Then why are you even here?" A new voice demanded.

Pulling her gaze away from Alaric, Caroline found herself nearly shrinking under Damon's furious stare. "Excuse me?"

"If you don't want to do this, then why are you here? You're just wasting our time," the elder Salvatore spat.

"I didn't say that," she nearly cried when she looked to see that Bonnie and Stefan shared matching looks of anger.

"Didn't you?" Damon smirked. "You just finished saying that you didn't agree with this. If that's the case, why don't you leave?"

"You can't really…" She looked from one brother to another, hoping that Stefan would understand her point. "I want to take care of Klaus just as much as the rest of you, but Elena…"

"Maybe you should leave, Caroline," Stefan offered up with determination. His voice wasn't nearly as cold as Damon's had been, but there was no mistaking the harsh light in his eyes. He was just as resolved as his brother.

Shaking her head, Caroline looked to Bonnie for help. "Bonnie, you can't possibly-"

Bonnie shook her head. "I'm sorry, Caroline. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but Damon has a point. If you aren't with us, you're against us…and it sounds like you aren't exactly with us on this."

* * *

What did you guys think?


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

* * *

Ellavm18: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy where you take it.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you.

Ansleyrocks: Thank you. For some reason, I find them easier to write and they aren't by far my favorites.

Fawkes Devaue: Yeah, I haven't cared much for Bonnie since the first season. Somehow I always end up transferring my dislike of her into my stories, but I'm hoping to make up for that in a few chapters to come.

Eva: And I honestly hadn't meant to donate so much attention to everyone else's reactions, but I think it worked out better that I included it. Yes, as for Elijah Elena's friends and families coming together, we'll see. As for the Elejah moments, I'm glad you liked it. I really struggled with getting that part just right.

Bellislefan: I have a couple things up my sleeve that I'm rolling out and the group won't have time to roll out anything.

Aurora Space: I hope you enjoy the Elejah interaction in this chapter. As for whatever plan they may or may not be cooking up, I've got a few things in mind. Maybe they'll be too busy to act against them…for the time being?

AN: There will be smut in the beginning of the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 6

Turning off her offending alarm, Elena groaned in protest as she dropped back on the bed. When her elbow landed on a piece of flesh, she turned to find Elijah turned towards her. His eyes were closed and in that moment, he looked more innocent than vampire. It was a deceptive sight, because she knew that he was awake and aware of his surroundings even if his eyes were closed.

"You stayed," she observed, her voice husky from sleep.

"You sound surprised," he countered, not bothering to open his eyes. Pulling her closer to his body, she willingly formed herself against him. He kissed a trail from her temple, down her cheek before kissing _that_ spot; his mark. Opening his mouth, his teeth pulled at her skin as sucked against it.

Letting out a moan, Elena's eyes closed as she tilted her head to give him more access to her neck. "We shouldn't do this. I have to get up for school."

"I changed the time forward on your clock after you fell asleep," he murmured against her skin. Nibbling on her neck, he continued on with his assault as his hand traveled down the length of her body. "I need you, Elena," he confessed, never completely moving his mouth from her neck. "Please, let me have you inamorata."

Her body was willing and pliant to do with as he wished. Even if her alarm hadn't been changed, she'd gladly stay in bed with him all day if she could. When he maneuvered them so that he was lying over her body, he kissed a trail up to her neck.

"Elijah, I have morning breath," she weakly protested.

"I have little care for that," he denied. "I want to taste you, not your toothpaste or mouthwash." Capturing her mouth in a deep kiss, his plunged his tongue in her mouth, tasting everything she had to offer. When she met his tongue in a dueling match, he smiled against her mouth. "Can I have you, Elena?" Before she had a chance to form a response for him, he brought his body completely flush against hers. She moaned into the kiss, feeling his hardening length against her body.

As they continued to kiss, she felt his hands pull up her night dress. When he used one arm around her back to hold her upper body up, she helped him when his free hand pulled her dress up and removed it completely. She lay against the mattress, helping him when he removed her panties and brought their bodies flush against one another. Two layers still separated them; his pants and underwear, but Elena didn't feel the same insecurity she felt their previous union. As their mouths met in a frenzy of passion, her hands moved to his hips, helping to shed his remaining layers of clothing.

When her inexperienced hands moved to his pants, Elijah nearly groaned. For him, it had been far too long since their last union. His body was willing and eager to feel her writhing against him, to hear her moans and breathy voice moan and call out for him. "You want me just as much as I ache for you," he breathed against her neck. "Can I take you, Elena?"

Instead of using her voice to answer him, she captured his mouth as she shifted her legs to accommodate his body. As they settled against one another without a barrier separating them, he groaned into her mouth. He gyrated his impressive length against her sex, and she wrenched her mouth away from him, crying into the room.

"Please!"

"You're so wet against me, Elena," he observed, rubbing his arousal against her dripping wet center.

"Yes," she mewled, attempting to rub away the ache that had grown in between her legs. "Don't tease me, 'Lijah, you know I want you."

Her words were nearly enough to cause him to lose control. Forgetting about his plan to tease her, he pushed into her wet core. When he was finally in to the hilt, he brought his mouth down to hers and claimed her lips in a fiery kiss; thrusting his tongue in her mouth with every thrust of his hips.

When he pulled away from her mouth and leaned back on his knees, he grasped her hips and moved her with him. Grabbing one of her legs, he stretched it out against the length of his chest before thrusting back into her.

Crying out, she felt her body quiver against his. "Elijah, I've never, this position…" When his thrusts became more intense and pronounced, her cries increased. "You're so deep…"

"Do you enjoy it, lover?" Elijah asked smirking at her. Of course, he didn't need to ask, her body was extremely responsive to his ministrations; she always was, but she'd turned into putty in his hands. He continued his calculated thrusts, letting the cries of her pleasure and the sound of their slick flesh slapping against one another was over him. Bringing a hand down, to her bundle of nerves, he played with her clit, bringing her to her first orgasm of the morning; but it wouldn't be the last, he'd make sure of it. He made sure to leave plenty of time for them to play before she headed off towards school.

She didn't even have a chance to come down from her high as he pulled out of her and moved her into a different position before thrusting into her again. Her body was still humming and ultra-sensitive, and she could do little more than scream in response to his actions.

"You're mine, Elena," he grunted between clenched teeth as he continued to plow into her tight little body. "Your pussy will curve around my dick before I finish with you." Not that he would ever be finished with her. He knew that he would never get tired of their coupling. Her delicious body reacted his in the most sinful ways, and the sounds of her voice crying out for him could drive him crazy.

She whimpered in response. "Elijah…" Spreading her legs wider, he pushed deeper inside her, his pelvis brushing against her clit with every thrust. Mere minutes later, her body was coaxed into another orgasm as she came.

"I am challenging myself. I want to see how many times I can make you orgasm before I finish," Elijah shared.

Ignoring the listless feeling that tempted her to fall back asleep for three more hours, Elena pulled away from him before she turned over, settling on her hands and knees. Hearing his groan of appreciation, she turned her head to give him a wicked smile.

Smirking in response, Elijah moved closer to her. Grasping his penis in his hand, he held it to her wet center. He was still achingly hard, and he ready to unleash his animalistic side. Once he knew that she'd been thoroughly satisfied, he wanted to claim her in the most animalistic way. His instincts were telling him to plow into her pliant body as hard as he could, hitting her as deep as physically possible before biting on the scar he'd left; thus completing the marking that he'd initiated.

However, despite what he wanted to do, ached to do, he held his instincts at bay. She was still very much human and would break if he unleashed his full power. He didn't want her body bruised and swollen. There would be time for that later, after she was marked, once she'd transitioned and would heal easier. An action that wasn't fully understood by either party in a rational mindset; but a desire that his body sought to achieve; an action that he knew was she wasn't ready for. With that in mind, he thrust into her with controlled force, throwing his head back as he did so.

Whimpering in response, she thrust back against him as he surged forward. She felt his grip on her waist tighten as she continued to work against him, finding a rhythm that added to fire in her body.

Leaning down against her, he rested his head against her back as he continued to plow into her body. "God, Elena. I can't get enough of you."

Moving back up to a kneeling position he used her arms to bring her closer to his body so they were flushed together. Holding her body against him, he continued to thrust inside her while he snuck a hand down towards her clit, he played her like a fiddle.

Raising an arm around his neck, she tried to do what she could to increase their pleasure. However, in their current position, she couldn't do much. When he began to lick and nip at her neck, she mewled in pleasure.

Opening his mouth, he felt his fangs lengthening, his gums burned with the desire to bite down on the flesh he was sucking on. His instincts told him to bite her and claim her; consequences be damned. Instead of biting her, he pulled his mouth away from her and claimed her mouth. The kiss was sloppy, but as he poured his attention into it, his desire to claim her was momentarily curbed. He added extra pressure to her nub and as he nether walls clenched around him, he felt a tingle pulse through him and as he reached his orgasm, he wrenched his mouth away from her and groaned into the room.

His completion coaxed her into another mind blowing orgasm, trusting him to see her through to completion.

Riding out the waves of utter pleasure, his body nearly vibrated with total abandon. When her orgasm subsided, he captured her mouth in a sweet kiss as he dislodged himself from her dripping wet sheath. "We need to get your showered for the morning."

"We?" Elena repeated the word. "If you joined me, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of showering?" She couldn't only imagine the things he could do to her body under a stream of hot water.

"Perhaps," he allowed. "But doesn't it sound like fun?" He placed one more kiss on her lips. "I can't get enough of you, Elena. I want you naked as long as I can get you."

She allowed him to lead her towards the rest room, her body beginning to throb with a renewed sense of arousal.

* * *

"Can I wave my white flag?" Caroline asked unsurely as she approached Elena at school the next day. It was the first time she'd gathered enough nerve to approach the brunette that day.

The previous night, she'd returned home stewing in anger over the actions of the others, more specifically, Bonnie. She'd wanted to yell and scream at them for their actions, but she knew her words would fall on deaf ears. Instead, she kept her head raised and her eyes defiant as she left the boarding house.

She'd almost been tempted to visit Elena, to share with her what had happened. She wanted to vent about their treatment of her as they argued over their new plan against Klaus and the Originals. However, she didn't think she had the right to do so. After the failed lunch that they'd met up for, she had chosen her side and Elena had been left in the dust.

That morning, Caroline returned to school with a sense of dread. Surely the anger that everyone felt would be lessened a degree or two, but she didn't anticipate any apologies…and she'd been right. Stefan, while still obviously upset, barely spared her a glance anytime their paths crossed. Bonnie was even worse, refusing to even look at her. In class that morning, she realized in embarrassment that everyone in school appeared to have known that she'd been cast out of her little group. If it hadn't been for her supernatural hearing, she wouldn't have heard the catty remarks. Resolved in the way things played out, she defiantly ignored the other students, and even ignored Elena's confused glances as she looked from Caroline towards Bonnie and then Stefan.

"So what did you do to them?" Elena asked, her voice and body reserved. She respected Caroline for making the effort to speak to her, obviously realizing that she would have to be the one to extend an olive branch. "Did you offer to braid Rebekah's hair?" Never one to hold a grudge, she offered her friend a small smile.

Grateful for Elena's attempt of breaking the ice, Caroline smiled as well. "Close, I offered to paint her nails and give her a facial." Taking a seat across from Elena, she shook her head. "I am sorry for yesterday, Elena. I shouldn't have left you the way I did."

Pursing her lips, the brunette nodded. "So, how come you aren't judging?"

"Oh, I am, but I'm keeping it to myself," Caroline admitted easily. When she noticed how bad her words could be construed, she shook her head. "I shouldn't have followed Bonnie the way I did, I shouldn't have left you. I saw your reaction to her words. You obviously needed me more than she did at that moment, and I am more convinced than ever, after last night." She knew what it was like to feel overwhelmed over a situation that was out of her control. It was similar to how she felt about Klaus. While she hadn't forgotten that he was responsible for much badness in their lives, she couldn't deny that she'd been able to see a different side of him. If her eyes had been opened, she could understand that Elena's had where Elijah was concerned.

"What happened last night?" Elena frowned.

Caroline shook her head. "That probably shouldn't be discussed here," she advised, taking note of the way that Stefan and Bonnie stared in their direction. "They are angry though, Elena," she warned in a soft voice. "I can't say for sure what they'll say or do, but if there's anything that you haven't told Elijah, I would do it before someone else does." Noticing that Rebekah too had turned towards them in interest, she left her warning open ended.

Elena looked up and followed the direction of Caroline's gaze. When she met the infuriated stare of one extremely angry blonde Original, she looked away quickly. "I can't believe everyone is so angry," she sighed. She'd expected anger from Damon and Stefan, and she still hadn't told either about the way her union with Elijah really began. Based on their reactions thus far, she was afraid to tell them the truth. She even understood the oddness and seemingly randomness of her relationship with him that hit her friends, but she really thought it would have lessened; days later, after the initial revelation.

"You did have sex with one of the people that managed to ruin our lives," Caroline muttered. "And judging by the looks that Rebekah keeps giving you, I'm guessing she feels the same way."

Her mind flashed back to the morning she'd shared with Elijah. He'd brought her to several orgasms before he let himself orgasm. "I didn't just have sex with him, Caroline," Elena denied softly.

The blonde nodded. "I know," she agreed sadly. Locking gazes with one another, brown eyes met blue in a sea of understanding. While Elena still hadn't disclosed the entire truth to anyone, she knew that Caroline was aware that her relationship with Elijah was something more than just physical.

"I didn't plan for this," Elena after a moment. "I never wanted to hurt anyone."

Offering her friend a small smile, she nodded. "I know, 'Lena."

"I just…I wish that this wasn't more than just…us, you know?" It was a rhetorical question, and she was thankful that her friend understood that. "This is confusing enough as it is." Taking a casual look around the lunchroom, she noticed that they no longer garnered an audience, though she was sure that certain ears were trained on them. "I've never felt like this before, and I know that sounds cliché when you hear it, but it's true. The feelings that I have are just…so much more than anything else that I've ever known."

Caroline tried to offer a supportive smile, but it fell flat. She wouldn't judge Elena the way the others had, but she did worry for her. Whatever it was that Elena felt for Elijah and vice versa, Elena was in deep. It was something more intense than she'd ever experienced, despite any passion that she'd known.

"What are your plans after school?" Elena asked.

Well…considering that she'd essentially been kicked out of any plans that were surely made after her departure, nothing much. "I'm open."

"Good. I'd really like to hear about what went on last night. And I know it might put you in an uncomfortable position, but I need to know what went on. I want to know what to expect from them."

"I'll tell you what I can, but when I left, they were still arguing," Caroline agreed easily. "I meant it before though, if there's something you want to tell Elijah, do it before someone else can." Were her actions cowardly? She didn't think so. She didn't want to come off as sounding wishy-washy, but after the way she was treated the previous night, she felt as if she deserved a little bit of payback.

Elena nodded again before her thoughts overwhelmed her.

* * *

"This appears to be a familiar scene," Finn voiced as he found Elijah, once again pouring over papers and books in the library.

Dropping the book on the table before him, he looked at his younger brother. His eyes were wild, his face unshaven and his hair was far from the perfect style it usually was. "I need answers, Finn. I can't handle this any longer."

Closing the door behind him, he stepped forward in concern. It was rarely ever that his brother was anything less than the appearance of cool, calm and collected. It didn't matter that he'd been daggered for nine hundred years, some things just didn't change, and that was one of them.

"What happened, Elijah?"

Shaking his head, Elijah sighed as he ran a hand through his unruly hair. "I stayed over with Elena last night. This morning we were…intimate." He detested that he had to divulge so much personal information. After living a thousand years, there was a common knowledge that each of them enjoyed sex, but it was hardly a topic of conversation. There were some things that he did not want to associate with his sister, much like he was sure she felt the same way where her brothers were concerned. "Finn, it was so intense. I've always found sex enjoyable," but that's all it had ever been; sex, fornication, coitus, copulation, screwing around. "I mean being with someone when emotions are involved, it's so much more than…but this is daunting. I was ready to bite her, mark her and make her mine. In that one moment in time, I could have cared less about fall-out…"

"And you've found nothing to help with your predicament?" Finn stepped around the table and peered over Elijah's shoulders. He didn't completely understand his brother's plight, but he sympathized for him. If Elena was a vampire, she would no doubt feel the same intense connection and there would be no issue keeping them from completing the mark.

"Nothing that I didn't read before," he confessed miserably. "I need answers, Finn, and I have nowhere to go or nowhere to look to provide them." He was nearly desperate to find an answer, something that would help him. "I don't understand it, if this is a vampiric instinct, then why choose a human? Wouldn't it have made more sense mark a vampire? Or…I don't know, if it had to be Elena, couldn't I have waited until she transitioned?"

"Have you considered our mother?" Finn inquired in a cautious tone. While Elijah hadn't expressly said anything, he got the feeling that his brother was less trusting where their mother was concerned. All of his siblings had bonded with their mother in one way or another since joining them, all but Elijah. Even Klaus had seemed to have a change of heart concerning Esther.

"I can honestly admit that the thought never crossed my mind," he muttered darkly. "And after speaking with Elena, I am convinced that involving Esther would be a mistake."

Finn claimed a seat and stared expectantly at his brother. If Elijah didn't want to grow closer with their mother, he knew there was no way to push him into anything. However, Esther had always been an intelligent being. She knew things that most other people did not, and she almost always found any answers that were needed for a situation.

"I must admit my confusion," Finn broke in with another frown on his face. "I was not aware that mother has had a chance to meet your Elena."

One side of Elijah mouth quirked up over the way he described Elena as being his. "They have not, at least not face to face. Esther promised a young vampire who had been killed that she would bring her back if she assisted in killing Elena."

The revelation pulled at his nerves and Finn frowned. "Are you certain? Is Elena certain?" While he'd noticed things about Esther that he hadn't noticed during their time as human, he didn't think… Not after the way she'd used Tatia's blood for the spell that created them. He thought that she'd learned her lesson the last time she'd… "She tried to what?"

"At first I didn't want to believe it either," Elijah confessed. "But then I started to consider it." He knew that if he had repeated the story to Klaus or Rebekah, they would tell him that whatever happened, Elena deserved, it. However, Finn didn't say a word. Like always, he wanted to hear the entire story before he said anything. "My relationship with Elena, whatever it has been, has mostly been one of truth and honesty. I will not excuse anything that Elena has done; she is easily manipulated by those around her." She allowed others to influence her decisions, but most humans did. He wouldn't hold it against her though. "It's when she's by herself, making decisions for herself that she's the woman I've fallen for. She un-daggered me, and her actions led to that afternoon, even if I manipulated the situation. I…she's one of the best people I've ever known; and her heart is usually in the right place, though misjudged as it may be. She has always come back to herself and tries to right what has been wronged. I don't believe that she would lie about something like this."

"As you just stated, Elijah, her view can be easily swayed," Finn insisted, though he knew that he was grasping at straws.

"Oh, she can," the brown eyed vampire nodded. "Yet, her friends, the people who have been known to influence her most have turned their backs on her as of late." Elena had proved more than once, that she was very forgiving; but something told me she wouldn't be so forgiving over their treatment of her. "Where I struggle with Nicklaus and Bex, she struggles with her friends. No one is happy for us," he sighed. "I don't think that anyone, other than you, knows the full extent of things. She obviously has no one to turn to, except for me, and I can't even provide the answers that she needs."

While he felt a duty to argue his mother's case, he knew it would fall on deaf ears. "And you have known no one else that is mated?"

"The last time I encountered a mated a pair, it was in the previous century. Finn, I never fully believed in this, and so I never really questioned it. I liken it to a fairytale, and what vampire fairytale have you ever heard of?"

"Fairytale?" He had never heard of such a thing.

"A child's story that ended with a happily ever after," Elijah provided when he realized who it was he spoke to. After their reunion, it was easy to disregard the fact that Finn hadn't been with the rest of them as they endured the millennium. "Stories that Esther would tell us when we boys," he added as an afterthought. "I never conceived such a notion as a vampire. And I was accepting of that fact. I just…I want to know why it's happened now, why my mate is human, and how that could have possibly happened. If my family is supposed the strongest and the first of our kind, why did my beast settle on someone who was human?"

He didn't mean to belittle anything that he and Elena shared, but he didn't understand it. He'd met beautiful women; humans, vampires and witches, throughout his existence. He didn't understand what it was about Elena that he couldn't let go of. He'd gotten over Tatia and Katarina, never feeling an inkling of the intensity he felt about Elena.

"Is there no one you can turn to? After all this time that you have lived?" While vampires and witches were not known to be overly friendly with one another, it was not unheard of for a witch to have an accordance; if not for themselves, but for those around them, with vampires. "You know no witches that can help you in your quest?" Again, he was reminded of his mother.

"I have just awakened after months," Elijah denied in a grievous tone. "If there were witches I could have turned to, who possessed the knowledge, surely they disappeared when I did not contact them." The thought had crossed his mind several times. It was not as though he was a 'bad guy' in the common sense, but he was not a good man. He knew that those that flocked to him; did so out of fear and sense of survival, not because he deserved their respect.

Minutes later after Elijah excused himself to change and groom himself, Finn was left alone with the mess that his brother forgot about during their conversation. He'd known that Klaus and Rebekah were not welcomed into the new situation that Elijah found himself in, but he'd made no mention of Esther and Kol. While he made note of the fact that he didn't wish to turn to Esther for answers, he never made notice of the fact that their mother would have known about his situation. Even Kol, for all of his wild ways, had been separated from his siblings for years before being daggered. He may have had experiences, held knowledge that could help…

Putting away the books and he loose leafs sheets of paper, he looked up to see his mother standing at the doorway. She wore a mixture of enlightenment, remorse and resolution on her face. It was with the one look at her, that he knew she was aware of the situation.

"You know," he accused.

The blonde woman nodded her head in solemnity. "I do. I was not always aware, but I understand now," she expressed softly. Turning her head in the direction that Elijah walked off in, she sighed sadly. "I have managed to make amends with the rest of my children, but there is a chasm that I cannot repair where Elijah is concerned." Of all of her children, Elijah had always been the most cautious when it came to letting other people in; a trait that was only magnified after his transition.

"Can you really blame him?" Finn supplied with a frown. "After the situations that he's faced and the people he's come up against, I would be surprised if he wasn't cautious." Upon hearing his words, he watched as the light in his mother's eyes faded just a little bit more. "You just have to be patient with him."

"I just wish that he would turn to someone for this situation he finds himself in…" While that was true, she really wanted him to turn to her. "I could help him."

"You did attempt to kill his mate," the young man reminded her kindly, granted she wasn't his mate at the time. Even if Elijah had welcomed his mother with open arms, discovering that news would have been a deal breaker. "If it was me, I wouldn't want you anywhere near my mate either."

Taking time to consider his words, as difficult as they were to listen to, he made a wonderful observation. She could attempt to reconcile with Elijah, but she had a feeling it wouldn't work. Until she made amends with Elena, she had no chance with Elijah.

"Your sister has planned the event I asked her to. When the invitations go out, I will make sure to attach a personal note to Elena's invitation."

"Are you sure that is a wise decision?" He didn't think his brother would particularly care for that action, not if his mother asked for a private audience with the young human. While there were still many facts about the mark that were left unknown to them, Elijah was very protective of his mate; and her human status only added to it.

"I deserve a chance to talk to her, to tell her my side of it." She wasn't sure if it would change anything, but she had to make an attempt. She needed to right her wrongs.

"I doubt Elijah feels the same."

Stepping into the room, Kol leaned against the door frame with a wicked smirk on his face. "I wouldn't worry about him. Something tells me that he's going to have his hands full these next few days."

Straightening up, Finn glared at his youngest brother. Kol had always been the most mischievous of them, and when he formed an alliance with Klaus, it was even worse. He wouldn't put it past his brother to stir up trouble.

Holding his hands up as a sigh of surrender, Kol shook his head. "It wasn't me this time. No, your precious daughter has invited an old friend of hers, an old lover of Elijah's, to stay with us for the next several days."

"And when is that supposed to happen?" Esther asked, something telling her that Rebekah only made things worse. However before either of her children could answer her, an annoying screech was heard down the hall.

"Elijah! I've missed you!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Your sister called me and invited me for a ball that your family is throwing, she mentioned that you may be in need of a date."

Finn and Kol peered out of the room they had been holed up in. The sight of Elijah attempting to disentangle himself from a beautiful blonde was an entertaining event to see. His form was stiff and it was easy to discern the frown on his face as the woman in his space appeared to be surprised by his reaction to her.

"Rebekah!"

* * *

AN: I'm not usually one to introduce 'Mary-Sues.' I think that's what Lucy could be considered as? If not, I apologize for getting the grouping wrong. Either way, Lucy will have a purpose for being introduced. There will be no Elijah/Lucy what-so-ever.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

A/N: I can't remember the way that the Gilbert's gravestones were, so I took liberties with them. It can't be too grievous because the show couldn't remember how Jeremy's gravestone was from one episode to another, so I don't feel so bad.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you.

SpringOfMay: The only Elijah/Lucy that there will be are mentions of the past. I won't even do flashbacks, I promise! For some reason, I can't stand the thought of Elijah with anyone other than Elena. I can handle seeing Elena with someone else, but not Elijah. I can't even stand Katherine, and it's Nina playing her.

Eva: I'm so glad to hear that you enjoy my updates. Yes, Elena and Elijah will not have it easy for the few coming chapters. So much anger from so many characters… As for their moments alone, I will always try to make Elijah the romantic I imagine him to be when it comes to his (obviously) very personal side. Yes, more about the mark is to come.

* * *

Chapter 7

"Elijah, what's wrong? You act like you aren't happy to see me."

Closing his mouth, the brunette stared at Lucy as if she spoke a foreign language.

She was still as beautiful as he remembered, her long blonde hair had been cropped in a stylish cut to suit the times, but her green eyes were just as vibrant as ever. The pout of her lips was more pronounced than ever and he was easily able to remember the times when they were wrapped around his length. He could still remember the feel of her body writhing against his, seeking pleasure.

"I haven't seen you in a hundred years, Lucy. What makes you think that that I would be?" They'd parted on amiable terms he supposed. He'd had lovers over the years, and while emotions had rarely ever been involved; she had been the one closest to that. While their relationship hadn't consisted of romance or love, she had been a close companion of his for nearly a decade. He had genuinely grown fond of the then young vampire. Yet despite their accordance, he never allowed it to turn into anything more. It was under that reasoning that their agreement ended. She wanted more, wanted things that he hadn't been willing to give her.

"Your sister tracked me down, told me where you guys would be."

It took him a moment to recall what else had happened during the length of the understanding he'd had with Lucy. His relationship was nearly non-existent with Klaus, and things had been strained between himself and Rebekah. His sister had kept a close relationship with Klaus, and Elijah had been angry with her for keeping such company. Lucy had known that, he'd warned her against getting close to Rebekah. When did that change? And why would she listen to anything that his sister had to say? "And you thought that I'd desire your presence?" He shook his head, realizing how harsh his question had been. "You made it known that you wished to never look upon me again," he reminded her. At the time, he'd honestly missed her presence upon their parting. After ten years together, a close companionship had grown between them.

Lucy pouted. "I did," she agreed in a small voice. "And I regretted it the moment I left you." She'd been tempted to return to him so many times, but her pride had always won out. "I haven't found anyone that can rival you, both in my bed and in my heart."

"Lucy, I am not available for emotional attachments," he denied, stepping away from her. "Now, more than ever before," he added. "You and I, we had our chance, and while I did enjoy your presence, that time has long since passed." With mild fascination, he watched as the light in her eyes returned to normal.

"We are both different people now, darling," she denied easily. "After nearly a century since our last meeting, we have both evolved with the times. You may not have loved me then, but you will now," she vowed, perking up considerably. Leaning up, she placed a kiss on both of his cheeks before turning away. "I'm off, Rebekah is taking me shopping for the ball. I'll be wearing red, your favorite color on me."

As the woman pranced away, Elijah shook his head. Despite the memories that assaulted his mind, the only thing he felt about his former lover was a fond remembrance for what they once shared. After ten years together, they had a thorough knowledge of each other's bodies and the best way to coax an orgasm out of one another. It was a level he looked forward to achieving with Elena.

Elena… Christ, how was he going to explain Lucy's presence to her? Speaking of former lovers was one thing, but dealing with them was another. He didn't have to be a mind reader to know that Elena felt slightly insecure where his sexual prowess was concerned, and he wasn't anxious to deal with the situation that his sister placed him in. The last couple days proved that they had enough obstacles ahead of them, the last thing they needed was another complication.

In long strides, Elijah moved in the direction that Lucy walked off in. When he discovered the pair of blondes heading towards the front door, he used his supernatural speed and cut them off. Ignoring Lucy completely, he focused his furious gaze on Rebekah.

"Elijah, what do you think you're doing?" Huffing in annoyance, Rebekah sniffed at him.

With controlled movements, Elijah backed her up until she hit the door. Leaning closer to her; his hand locked around her slender neck, applying enough pressure to spike her fear, but not hard enough to leave a mark. When her eyes widened in alarm, he felt his beast slightly mollified.

"Elijah, what is the matter with-"

"Stop speaking!" He roared, his eyes flashing black. "You have nothing to say to me in which I desire to hear. We've indulged you too much; I've indulged you too much. I didn't put my foot down when I should have." As the baby of the family, and the only girl, they'd all given in to Rebekah's wants. Even when they were human, she was babied by all of them. In hindsight, he realized that they'd done nothing but hindered her.

"You don't control me, you never have," she spat at him, annoyed with his words against her.

"You're right," Elijah agreed as the shade of his eyes returned to normal. "I once had a sister that I adored, but I longer have one." Stepping away from her, he shook his head sadly. He opened his mouth to say something, but changed his mind and looked away from her. "Go enjoy your time, Rebekah…with your guest."

No one in the room missed the way he emphasized the word.

"Elijah?" Lucy asked moving closer to his form. "Have I upset you?"

"Did Rebekah tell you that I am involved with someone?" The Original asked, giving her an expectant look. He was sure that some mention was made, even if it was done in passing.

Sniffing at her lover, Lucy's jaw ticked as she considered his words. "She mentioned something about a human." An insignificant human, Lucy had seduced plenty of her lovers (both vampire and human) away from their human partners. Upon hearing Rebekah's revelation, she didn't expect a difficult time. Humans were fickle in their feelings.

While she didn't say anything too incriminating, he was easily able to discern the expression on her face. He couldn't say that he blamed Lucy for thinking of humans as a 'lower beings,' because many vampires viewed them as such; but he didn't care for it either. "Yes, she's human," he acknowledged. "However, that fact means little to me. She is mine in every way that matters, and I will not allow anyone to come between us."

Lucy was an attractive woman; her beauty surpassed even those of the supernatural, and she had no problem when it came to finding willing partners. However, Elijah was aware of all of her tricks; half of them already having been used on him through their years together. He would not fall into her arms again, he had no desire to; and he certainly wouldn't allow her to form a chasm between himself and Elena.

"She can't possibly do the things to you that I did. I know every way to coax you into an orgasm within a matter of minutes. You can't deny how well we worked together," she said, slinking up to him. Placing a hand on his chest, she stroked the material underneath her palm.

Letting out a weary sigh, Elijah grabbed her hand before bringing his free hand up to clamp over hers. "You're right," he grudgingly admitted. "After years together, it was only natural that we developed that. The relationship that you and I had is completely different from the one I share with Elena," he watched as she smiled coyly at him. "One day, we will far surpass the things that you and I experienced," he finished, dropping her hand from his and stepping away from her.

Her smile immediately turned into a sneer. "We'll see about that, Elijah. I always get what I want…always."

"Until now," he clarified. Turning around to the audience they'd garnered, he shook his head. "I will be staying in town during the duration of her visit."

Rebekah stepped forward then. "You can't be serious."

There was no way he could sleep comfortably at the mansion, not with Lucy there. He wouldn't put it past her to try something during the night. "And if I find out that either of you even so much as looked at Elena wrong, you will deal with me." With that one last parting remark, he left the mansion without a parting glance.

Attempting to gather her nerves, Rebekah turned around to discover that all the attention was on her.

"Now that you've managed to run off our brother, what do you have planned next?" Klaus asked as he stepped into the foyer. "Will you be serving rodent blood at the ball?"

Offering him a sugary sweet smile, she shook her head. "No, you'll be the only one served that." Finn wore the same judgmental expression on his face that their mother did, and she felt as if she was shrinking in size. "He'll be back…" He would be back, he had to. Elijah always put his family before his own personal needs, he always had.

Kol shook his head. "When are you going to realize that this isn't about you?" He paused to consider the irony of his actions. He, the most reckless one of his siblings, was nearly lecturing her. "I get that you're jealous that she 'stole,'" he used to his fingers to make quotation marks, "your boyfriend and stabbed you in the back." Really, he did understand it. It was enough to make anyone angry. "But you've done things too," or did she forget that? "Elijah and Klaus may have had their differences over the centuries, but he's never stopped supporting you." If she would have acted against Klaus, then he would be able to understand it, but Elijah?

She wasn't about to admit that his words had begun to chip into her resolve, and it was then that her anger took over. "Elena is nothing more than…an insignificant human. Do you remember how he felt about Tatia and then Katherine?" Both women managed to pull their family apart, and she certainly wouldn't sit by as Elena did the same thing as her ancestors. "It is nothing more than an infatuation, and the sooner he realizes it, the sooner we can get on with our lives."

"And get back to what exactly?" Finn asked. "For the first time, we have been reunited, and instead of enjoying it, we are back to fighting amongst ourselves." He was eager to tell the others the truth of Elijah and Elena's relationship, perhaps if he did, Rebekah would not be so quick to dismiss it? Then again, who was to say that she wouldn't use the knowledge to her own advantage?

Placing a hand on Finn's shoulder, Esther shook her. All of her children were headstrong and wouldn't listen to reasoning until they wanted to. "What is done, is done." She knew that Elijah wouldn't return until after Rebekah's guest departed from Mystic Falls. "I hope you are happy with yourself, Rebekah," she chided softly. "Elijah better be at the ball."

"And how am I supposed to get him there?" If he didn't want to go, how was she going to change his mind?

"You had an easy enough time running him off, I'm sure you can get him back," Kol retorted.

Narrowing her gaze at her brother, she sneered at him. "Oh go suck on a rabbit."

Esther took a step forward. While his words were not said in the best way, Kol had a point. "He is right. You caused this mess, you will fix it. How can I present us as a united front when one of my children is missing?"

As the pair of blondes left the house, Rebekah found herself in a reflective mood. Shopping, an experience that she usually enjoyed immensely was nothing more than a hassle on that day. She lost any interest in finding a gown while Lucy combed through every piece of fabric that the high end boutique had to offer.

"And I think this is the one…" Lucy announced, entranced by the vision in her mirror. The blood red gown hugged her figure in all the right ways, and she couldn't wait for Elijah's reaction to seeing her dressed in it. "Rebekah, what do you think?" Never pulling her gaze away from her reflection, she waited for some sort of verbal response. "Rebekah?" Turning around, she frowned when she noticed the faraway look in the Original's eyes. "Is this about what happened back at the house?"

Rebekah pulled her attention away from her thoughts and looked towards her companion. "Wow." She had to admit that Lucy looked absolutely flawless in her gown. Once her hair was done and the proper make-up was applied, she would be the bell of the ball.

"I know, right?" Lucy asked, as she once again looked towards her reflection. "I can't wait for Elijah to see me."

Frowning at her words, the female Mikaelson looked away from the self-involved woman. She'd always hated it when women fawned all over her brothers. She disliked it when any woman set her worth on a man's opinion. She didn't even care much for the vampire before her, she never had. Lucy had put on airs because of her relationship with Elijah, and it was yet another strike against her.

Yet despite all that, Lucy was her only chance in removing Elena from their lives. She wasn't as naïve as her family assumed she was. While she'd been serious in her comparison between Elena and her ancestors, she knew that Elijah's feelings for the human far succeeded anything he'd ever felt before…and that frightened her. Elijah wasn't cavalier about his feelings, and she wanted to be happy for him…if only it was someone else.

Why did it have to be Elena Gilbert of all people? Elena, who pretended to be so good and wholesome before stabbing people in the back…literally and figuratively, had caused nothing but trouble. She couldn't really blame Elena for her lot in life, at least her more rational side figured it. However, she didn't want to be rational. Klaus had once again embraced the idea of a new 'super' race, and in his quest for power, had threatened to ruin things once again.

"Do you care about nothing else?" Rebekah asked.

Sobering up, Lucy turned back to look at her companion. "I know that you invited me here to use me," and as sad as it was, she accepted that. "Elijah was a rather important part of my life at one time, even if he didn't return the sentiment." She had genuine feelings about the eldest Mikaelson. "Yes, I would love to recapture what we once had, but if that doesn't happen, I'll be fine with that too." She had lived without him for a century, she could do it again. "However, I refuse to stand by and watch as he falls for some human whore." He was one of the most feared vampires, and he had fallen for a human…seriously? No, that needed to be taken care of before anyone else got wind of it. She would not see her former lover fall because of a lapse in judgment!

"She really isn't," Rebekah admitted softly. "I don't like her, but she isn't a whore."

"And it was just a word," Lucy waved off. "Your concerns are valid, Rebekah. Just imagine all those out there who would eagerly use that against him…against all of you."

* * *

Taking a seat on the grass in front of her parent's gravestones, Elena picked at the area, cleaning up the loose leaves and picking the weeds that had grown since the last time the grass had been mowed. Tracing her mother's name, she smiled sadly and sniffled. She missed her mother now more than ever.

Growing up, she'd always been close to her parents; but it was her mother, that she was especially close to. Until their deaths, her mother had been there for the most important days of her life. She was her number one cheerleader, and supported her through every event in her life. When she had her first kiss in sixth grade with Anthony Fair, which turned out to be a disaster; her mother had taken her to an ice cream parlor to cheer her up and then laugh about it. When she lost her virginity to Matt, she ended up spilling the entire thing to her mother, excited about the milestone in her life. Surprisingly, it hadn't been nearly as awkward as she'd expected it to be. Miranda Gilbert had always taken everything in stride, and Elena honestly felt as if she was the luckiest girl in the world to have her for a mother.

And Miranda Gilbert was her mother in every way that counted. It didn't matter that Isobel Flemming had given birth to her, Miranda had been there every day, day in and day out. In the end, nothing changed. However, it was a mindset that had taken her a while to achieve. Upon learning the truth about her lineage, she felt a lingering sense of betrayal, which followed the anger and disbelief. She was angry that her parents had never told her the truth, that her mother had never said anything. She shared everything with her mother, why hadn't she returned the same courtesy?

John Gilbert had always been standoffish with her, and she'd grown up not letting it get to her. He would blow into town every so often, stay a couple weeks and then travel back to wherever he came from. She'd never been close to him, but finding out that he was her biological father had thrown her through a loop. She was angry that she spent so many years disliking him; angry with both him and her parents for never revealing the truth. After his death she mourned for him, mourned for the loss of never truly getting to know him.

For John, she had mourned what could have been. When it came to Jenna, she mourned for what had been. Jenna had always been her cool, hip aunt. Jenna, who tried to support her the only way she knew how, doing so behind Miranda's back. She enabled Elena, helped her because she wanted to be the cool aunt. It was something that had come back to bite her in her butt when she had been given custody of Elena and Jeremy.

In the beginning it had been shaky at best. All three housemates had been mourning in their own ways, but doing their best to move on the way they thought they should have. Jeremy rebelled, Jenna conformed and Elena evolved. The introduction to the supernatural had only added to the faulty lines in their precarious situation. In the end, Jenna stopped attempting to fight against the supernatural aspect of their lives and for a brief moment in time; it worked well for them. Elena found her relationship with her aunt improving in ways that she hadn't anticipated. However, it didn't prepare her for Jenna's untimely death or the means in which it happened. She still continued to suffer with the knowledge that it was her actions that resulted in such a tragedy.

"Elena, I haven't seen you in a while."

Pulling away from her reveries, she turned to find Pastor Young standing a few feet away. Clearing her throat, she tried to offer him a smile, but it turned into more of a grimace than anything.

"I wasn't judging," he clarified, obviously reading into the expression on her face.

She nodded. "I know, but it has been a while, too long."

"Everyone grieves in their own way, in their own time. Some people embrace the emotions, hoping that it will help with the healing process. And then others fight it as hard as they can, fearful that they won't ever find the same happiness again."

"I…I don't really know which category I fall into," she admitted meekly. She had mourned for the loss of her parents, of Jenna, of John and Isobel; but she'd never taken the time she knew she should have. Instead, she dealt with one situation after another, both of the supernatural and not. When she placed her attention on those situations, it had been easier to deal with. "I mourned, but I didn't, you know?"

"And you've dealt with so much death and sadness since then," he observed wisely. "Losing a loved one is never easy and never something you just get over. My wife was a good person, just like your parents. She fought for what was good and put this town first."

His words pulled at her, and she felt a frown forming on her face. Since the death of her parents, her time at church had seriously diminished; though it had never been steady. She couldn't even remember what the Pastor's wife looked like, and since he sent his daughter off to school, the Young family had barely been a blip on her radar. She knew enough to know that the most prominent families in Mystic Falls were part of the council, it was assumed, but it was usually rightly assumed. Had that meant that Pastor Young and his wife were as well? Was he trying to tell her something without actually telling her?

"I…I don't know what you mean," she denied. If he was going to play coy, then she would as well.

"It is just such a shame when such lives are lost."

Filing his words away, Elena nodded. "Yes, I suppose so. You've seemed to…come to terms with everything that has happened with such grace and dignity."

"It has not been easy, Elena," he replied. "My wife was robbed of her life, your parents and aunt, were robbed of theirs. It is never something that should be just be forgotten." His tone of his voice had taken on a sense of determination and anger, though he attempted to keep the expression on his face neutral.

Sensing that their conversation was progressing into something that was far beyond her knowledge, and being at a disadvantage; she offered up a subject change. "How is April doing? I haven't seen her during any of her vacations home." She'd baby-sat April a few times over the years, but they'd never been overly close. Being a couple years older than his daughter, she'd already had a life established by the time April entered the same school as her. Other than the few polite exchanges in the halls at school she didn't talk to April…and then she'd been shipped off to an all girl's school.

"She's…doing well. I think a new beginning was just what she needed," he admitted, his body relaxing from its coiled state. I saw Lillian Dobson here a bit a go, and I'd like to make my rounds to her," he apologized kindly. "If there's anything that you need, help or even to talk, my number is still the same."

"Thanks, Pastor Young. I'll keep that in mind."

"Any time, Elena," he dismissed politely. "Your parents were good people. The least I can do is make sure that you're taken care of." With one last smile, he turned around. "Oh, and how is your brother? The news of his relocating was rather abrupt, wasn't it?"

She was certain then. If Pastor Young hadn't been alluding to things before, then she was positive he was then. "I guess you could say I was taking a page out of your book by giving him a new start. That isn't so wrong, is it?"

"Not at all, not in Mystic Falls, my dear."

She watched with a careful eye as he departed before she turned back to the grave before her. Giving a heartfelt goodbye to her parents, she made her way out of the cemetery. She vaguely noticed Pastor Young approaching her school mate, nodding her head at the pair of them, she moved on towards the gate.

At a slight distance, she took notice of someone leaning against her car, an unfamiliar form. She knew that it couldn't have been anyone threatening, at least not by their stance, but she found herself gathering her nerves for whatever showdown she could face. It wasn't until she drew closer to her car that she was able make-out who exactly it was waiting for her.

"Abby…" She couldn't imagine what it was that Bonnie's mother had to discuss with her. Things between herself and Bonnie were stilted, she was sure that Abby was aware of their discord and the reason why.

The older woman offered her an uncomfortable smile. "Hello, Elena."

"How did you know where I was?" Elena asked, suspicious of her companion.

"I was paying respects to my mother when I spotted you. I was going to approach you in there, but I saw that you already had company." Pulling away from the car, she sighed. "I felt that it was time for us to have a chat."

"Chat?"

"I understand from Bonnie, that your situation has recently changed. She told me why I was found, and I was resolved to help." She'd abandoned Bonnie when she was a young child and she owed Bonnie the help that she'd denied her years ago. "However, your circumstances have changed, as I understand it?"

"Why do you need to know?" Abby couldn't possibly think she'd pass on information…

"I don't particularly look forward to acting out against the oldest vampires in existence. Entombing Mikael was one thing." She knew there was no retribution against her because her actions suited Elijah and Klaus. "And I know that whatever plan Bonnie and the others come up with will garner a reaction from them, and I'm not eager for that."

"And you don't know what plan that is?"

"I know that it involves the death of Klaus and possibly Elijah." Those were the two Original siblings that Bonnie and her friends held major grievances against. "I know that the possible demise of Klaus doesn't draw concern for you, but I imagine Elijah falls into another category altogether." While Bonnie wasn't itching to act against the eldest sibling, if he stepped in the way, she would face him as well. It also didn't help that Bonnie was allowing Damon and Stefan to feed her anger because of Elena's recent revelation.

"My relationship with Elijah is none of your concern," Elena denied. "I'm not going to tell you anything that you can use against me."

"I'm trying to help you, Elena." While she understood the brunette's uneasiness, she needed to reach her. "I can't tell you exactly what is planned, but if there is a strike against the Originals, they will retaliate, and that will put you in a difficult position." She had to admit that her actions weren't only to help Elena, she didn't want Bonnie to lose her life because of a bad decision. Bonnie may have possessed more power than she ever did, but she was still nowhere near ready to face such a strong adversary. "I don't want to act against Elijah and his family, and I don't want Bonnie to blindly go into this. She has grown into her powers, but she has learning to do. I'm afraid that she is biting off more than she can chew."

"Then why aren't you telling her this?"

"Don't you think I've tried?!" Abby shook her head. "I've told her all this, and she just doesn't care, she's convinced that this plan is the only way. When you arrived with Bonnie, I was happy that she had you in her life." She'd always been a good judge of character when it came to people. She knew minutes into meeting a person if they were a good person or not. "There's been a change in your relationship with Elijah that has pulled you back from your first support. I would like to know what it is."

"But you haven't earned it," Elena broke in. "All I will say is that my relationship with Elijah is something more than physical."

"You love him…"

Elena didn't bother to confirm nor deny Abby's words. "I know that things are difficult right now, I'm not an idiot." However, instead of focusing on the fact that her friends were plotting against her lover (and her by extension), she tried to look past it and move on. "I know that Bonnie can be quick to judge, but she'll cool down."

"And that is something you're certain of?"

She wanted to give the witch a positive answer, but at that moment in time, she couldn't. If Damon and Stefan were whispering things into Bonnie's ear and egging her on, who knew what she would do. The Salvatore brothers could be very manipulative if they wanted to be. Though there was always comfort in the fact that Bonnie nearly detested Damon, and would often side against him just to spite him. "I will keep my eyes open and do what I can," she acknowledged, though she doubted she could do very little.

Abby nodded. "Elena, I have one more piece of advice," the older woman hedged. "Be careful with the people you surround yourself with." With one last imploring look, she backed away from the teen.

Elena frowned as she stared at the woman's retreating form. What had that meant? Wasn't the warning a bit too late considering that she was already more entwined with Elijah than humanly possible? Getting into her car, she attempted to brush off the comment; but a niggling feeling in the back of her mind warned her not to ignore it completely.

* * *

AN: So, what do you guys think? I'm slowly going to move away from everyone's reactions, but there is more to come. After all, a good majority of their friends and family aren't aware of the mating status...


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you.

Eva: Thank you for pimping my story at the forum. It's been dead over there as of lately and I haven't seen much traffic go through there at all. I'm glad you liked the way that Elijah dealt with both Rebekah and Lucy. I wasn't sure if it would go over well. As for the bickering…I was trying to add more sibling moments. As an only child, I can only use my imagination. Yes, I'm trying to give Rebekah some layers. I really hated her character throughout most of the series, so I'm trying not to let it impair my writing of her. Yes, I wanted to add more Abby and Pastor Young in it. At this point, I don't know what I want to do with Abby, but I wanted to give her some characterization. Well, happy reading! I hope you enjoy just as much this time around!

Fawkes Devaue: You know, until recently, I never considered how alike Elena and Rebekah were. I am hoping to use that to nurture a friendship between them, but it will be a very slow process. As for your idea, per my PM to you; I meant it when I said that I wouldn't have any Lucy/Elijah whatsoever. Other than mentions of them in the past, that will be it. Yes, she came to try and entice Elijah, but she doesn't need him. And so there won't be that sort of drama at the ball, but there will be drama. I promise.

Ellavm18: Glad that you enjoyed it. Hopefully the feeling stays with all my updates!

AuroraSpace: Yes, I wouldn't mind an Elijah alarm clock either…and what a way to wake up! I'm glad you liked what I did with Abby. That's what I was trying to portray with her. She wants to help Bonnie because she knows that she let her down, but she doesn't want to wage a war against the Originals. Yes, Elijah won't be returning home to sleep until its 'safe.' I wasn't too harsh with the family's reaction to Rebekah, was I? I was worried it wouldn't go over well, specifically where Kol was concerned. Oh well. It wouldn't be the first time that a character was retconned (ie: the Kalijah that came out in season 4).

* * *

Chapter 8

Coming to a stop in front of her house, she parked next to Elijah's sleek, expensive car in the driveway. She found comfort in the knowledge that he was waiting for her. Just being in his presence (or the thought of it) could sooth her nerves. She still had an overwhelming urge to jump him, but it was bearable for the moment. It wasn't until things became heated or when he touched his mark on her neck that her desire could only be curbed through their joining.

"Hey," she greeted, stepping up the porch. While she wasn't a stickler for manners, she knew that Elijah insisted upon them; so when he didn't stand for her approach, she felt her concern grow. "Bad day?"

Offering her sad smile, he held a hand out and beckoned her to join him on the outdoor furniture. "I can't believe it's only been hours since I last saw you." When she situated herself next to him, he pulled her against his body, curving an arm around her shoulder. "My morning started off so wonderful, I can't believe it turned out so badly," he added. When she tilted her head up to look at him, he quickly changed the subject, not wanting to discuss Rebekah's guest at the moment. No, he wanted to enjoy his moment with Elena. "And how was your day?"

"I'm not sure. I...it wasn't nearly as bad as it was yesterday, but it was odd," she stumbled. "Caroline approached me at lunch today. I guess there was a meeting last night and when they didn't like what she had to say, they asked her to leave." She didn't have to explain who exactly 'they' was.

The news didn't surprise him. While he wasn't nearly as expectant as Klaus was when it came to others falling in line, Damon Salvatore let his feelings get the better of him when he didn't get his way. He was not used to deferring to others, and expected that his way of taking care of things was the only way. "Oh?" He had no doubt that he was mentioned in the meeting; more than likely as a new sort of danger who had seduced the 'poor, unsuspecting Elena.'

"She doesn't know what they're planning, but you know they're planning something," she added softly.

"I know," he agreed, expecting some retaliation from them. After the hell that Nicklaus had caused since his arrival in Mystic Falls, he knew that nothing would deter them from finding a way to get rid of his brother.

"Elijah, we haven't really discussed this, but…I'd rather tell you than someone else," she hesitated, playing with the buttons of his shirt. "It's just, I was with them on their plan to kill Klaus," she confessed in a whisper. "I went with Bonnie to track down Abby Bennett so they could unlock that last coffin. Before we found out that it was Esther, we were so sure that whoever it was would be able to take Klaus down…otherwise, why would he have kept it locked?"

Elijah tightened his arm around her form and placed a kiss on her head. "I know," he admitted in a gentle voice. After all the heartache his brother had been responsible for in her life, of course she would want to take back her life.

"We almost did kill him," she continued on sadly. "And the plan would have succeeded if Stefan hadn't stopped it. Instead, Klaus killed Mikael and Stefan earned his freedom from Klaus. We'd been so close…and it was then that we worked Abby into the plan." She didn't regret her actions, but she regretted that she had been a volunteer to act against his brother.

Staring into the empty space before him, he considered her words. As angry as he wanted to be, things had changed since then. "And would you so willingly kill him now?" He couldn't blame her if that was the case, though he knew it wasn't. Elena wouldn't act against Klaus, because she knew it would be acting against him. Unfortunately, no matter what happened; Klaus was still his brother.

Sighing, she shook her head against his chest. "No, I don't think I could. I couldn't do that to you." Even though Elijah was often at odds with Klaus, he was still his brother; he'd proved that the night of the sacrifice. "And then I start to feel guilty for turning my back on my friends, who have also suffered because of him." She found herself in between a rock and a hard place; no matter what she did, she would disappoint someone.

"I know you wouldn't do anything against him, not now, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that you won't ever regret that decision." He hated that she found herself in such a position. He worried that her guilt would slowly chip away at her and that she would regret their relationship; or worse, that she would grow to resent him for placing her in such a position.

Taking comfort in his promise, she knew that he would keep it. Elijah never said anything unless he meant it.

"Did you tell Caroline about us?" While the blonde was just as loyal as Elena, he questioned where her loyalties fell. She did apologize to Elena, but it happened because the others turned their backs on her. Would she use the knowledge to her advantage or would she support Elena the way a friend should?

She shook her head once again. "I wanted to, and I nearly did." It had been Stefan's keen sense of hearing that stopped her confession. "Stefan and Rebekah were within earshot, but that wasn't the only reason why. I know that she didn't actively plan to act against me, and the fact that she told me proves that." It meant something, didn't it? "I just…I wonder if she would have said anything to me had the others not made her mad." She hated to question Caroline's motives, but she couldn't help herself. The situation she found herself in was precarious and she needed to surround herself with those that she could trust. She wouldn't put it past the others to use the knowledge of her relationship with Elijah against them.

"Elena, if you wanted to tell her, I wouldn't oppose." She obviously needed someone to talk to, and perhaps another woman could offer her a different form of support?

It wasn't as if she'd been looking for his approval, but knowing that she had it, made it easier. While she still wasn't sure if she was ready to share everything with Caroline at that moment, she was leaning towards it. "On the plus side, I had an interesting conversation with Abby Bennett," she said, changing the subject completely. "She doesn't wish to act against you or your siblings, and I think that we can eventually use that to our advantage." The older Bennett witch may have wanted to do what she could to help her daughter, but her logic was not lost.

"It is a shame that young Bonnie does not share her mother's thoughts," Elijah returned with a frown. One day, Bonnie would be a formidable opponent. However, at that point in time, she was still growing into her powers; and while the magic within her was strong, she was no match for him and his siblings.

Despite the fact that they were quarreling, she still felt the need to defend her friend. "Bonnie's always been firm in her beliefs," she shrugged. "Her quarrel lies with Klaus alone."

"Maybe so," Elijah allowed, "but she must know that my siblings and I will not stand by and watch as she makes an attempt on my brother's life." It was one thing for him and his siblings to fight and disagree amongst themselves, but they would unite against any other threat.

"Abby is hopeful that she'll be able to dissuade her, she was asking about us, our relationship. I think she was hoping I'd divulge something she could use."

Abby's interest in his relationship with Elena pulled at his thoughts. While witches and vampires had never been allies, there were instances when he'd worked with them in the past. Perhaps the elder Bennett witch had insight into his situation? "And what did you tell her?"

"I told her that you and I share something far deeper than a physical release but that she hadn't earned the truth." She knew that Abby had been hoping to use the revelation to coerce Bonnie, play the 'friend' card. However, she didn't think it would work. Bonnie could be just as stubborn as Damon and Stefan; and if the three of them had teamed up, she could only wait for Bonnie to find her senses again before trying to reason with her.

"For your sake, I hope that Abby is right about her daughter." He certainly didn't relish in the idea of killing the young Bennett witch, but he would, if it came down to it. Threatening his brother was one thing, but a threat against himself and Elena? There would be hell pay if anyone did anything to the woman in his embrace.

"Is this how it will always be for us?" Elena asked with a frown. "You at odds with my friends and your siblings trying to kill me?" Pursing her lips, she shook her head. "Oh, I guess they aren't anymore…" At least Klaus wasn't, and because of her blood, he'd protect her against anyone, even his own siblings.

"One day, things won't be like this," he predicted. One day, he would change her, and she would spend the rest of her existence by his side. One day, all the heartache would be nothing more than a distant memory for her…them… One day.

"So…have I monopolized the conversation enough? Are you ready to tell me about your day?" Elijah had always been able to approach every situation that arose with a cool detachment. It wasn't very often that they could twist him up.

Once again, Elijah tightened his arm around her slim frame. He didn't relish in telling her about Lucy's arrival or the fact that she was staying at the mansion. Elena hadn't brought up his sexual prowess or his experience, though he knew it was always there…at the corner of her mind. It was another glaringly obvious difference between them.

He knew that Rebekah had invited Lucy to Mystic Falls, hoping that he would fall for her wiles; thus stopping the development of his relationship with Elena. As if he was easily manipulated! What Rebekah failed to realize was that he no longer desired Lucy. Even if there was no Elena, he still wouldn't desire the attractive vampire. Things hadn't worked out for them the first time around, and he knew that no matter how much time passed, they never would.

"My sister has invited a guest to stay with us, a former lover of mine." As soon as he finished his confession, he paused, waiting for her reaction. In response, he felt her body stiffen against his as her heartbeat sped up.

"Oh…" Elena frowned, a slight feeling of inadequacy ripping through her. Taking a deep breath, she pushed away the offending thoughts, which was easier than she thought it would be. Elijah wouldn't stray from her, she wasn't sure how she knew; but it was an instinctual knowledge. His body called for hers and hers alone.

"I had no idea she was even in contact with her, inamorata," he added softly. His sister had never taken to any of his lovers, or Klaus' or even Kol's; so he'd been surprised by Lucy's appearance.

Elena buried her head in his chest. "We're a pair, aren't we? Your family and my friends are against us so completely." She would say she was surprised by Rebekah's actions, but she really wasn't. Rebekah had proved time and time again that she had claws just like the best of them.

"She means nothing me, Elena." While she hadn't inquired anything further on Lucy, he still felt it important for her to know.

"Is she pretty?" She asked softly.

"She is very attractive," he confessed earnestly.

Elena pursed her lips. "Of course she is…" As if Elijah would ever become involved with someone less than beautiful. "Okay, let me ask you this. Is she attractive enough for me to develop an inferiority complex?" Her inquiry came off as teasing, but she really needed him to answer her question. She didn't want to be surprised when she came face to face with his former lover, which she was sure to happen if she was with Rebekah.

Understanding her motives, he tilted his head down and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. "She doesn't hold a candle to you, my inamorata."

"And I won't have to worry about her attempting to seduce you?" She would still worry about it, whether he said she should or not. Even if his former lover wasn't in town, there was always the threat that another woman thought she was better for Elijah than her.

"While I have no control over her actions, I can guarantee you I will be safe from her at night," he replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I have a room at the hotel in town."

"Smart man," she complimented with a smile of appreciation for his forethought.

Capturing her mouth in a breathtaking kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers. "You have nothing to worry about, Elena. I am yours."

"I like that," she confessed in a whisper.

"I like that you like that," Elijah said with a smile on his face and his eyes were much lighter than they had been during their previous conversation.

Enjoying his playful side, Elena smiled widely. "Well, I like that you like that I like that," she giggled. "I'm starving," she remarked when she heard her stomach growl. "If you like, I could make something for us. I mean it won't be the five star meals you're probably used to, but it won't kill you."

"As tempting as that sounds," Elijah began with a smile, "how about I take you out for dinner?"

The suggestion sounded enticing enough. She knew that what she and Elijah shared wasn't considered a normal relationship. They had yet to go on an actual date, but they were past that stage…weren't they? They'd gone from having sex once to being tied to one another for the rest of their lives; there had been no romance, no dates, just…basic instinct.

Not only were they not conventional, but they didn't even have the appearance of being so. Growing up in a small town like Mystic Falls, her neighbors and friends of her family still saw her as the little girl she once was. Elijah, on the other hand, arrived in Mystic Falls pretending to be a historian…who was all man. He managed to turn the head of quite a few women in town and claimed to be a content bachelor. He easily manipulated his way into Elena's life (though unknowingly to anyone unaware of his vampire status), befriending her aunt; so when people spotted Elena and Elijah together through town, no one thought anything about it.

However, that time had come and gone. After Jenna's tragic death, there was no excuse for the pair of them to spend an enormous amount of time together through town. So far, the couple hadn't ventured away from the privacy of the Gilbert residence, but Elena was surprised that her neighbors hadn't made mention of it to her in passing. She didn't think it was possible to be with Elijah without touching him, and she didn't think that the residents of Mystic Falls would understand that.

"I don't know…" She hedged uncomfortably. "Being with you here is one thing." She apparently didn't have to worry about nosy neighbors. "But going to dinner in town with you, is another."

"You act as if you're ashamed of me, Ms. Gilbert…"

"You know that's not it," she clarified, though she knew he wasn't naïve about it. "I just…Elijah you are all man, and I'm clearly younger than you. My friends and your family don't even understand this, I can only imagine how everyone else will react."

He understood her hesitation, and to some degree, he held the same reservations. It was nearly impossible to exist in a town or city for a long period of time, five years at the most. However, it was anonymity that made that possible. He never stepped into the limelight; he never drew attention to himself. At that moment in time, he found himself in a completely unexplored position. He didn't want to draw attention to himself, but he didn't want to travel to another town to romance Elena as if she was his dirty little secret.

"I understand your observation, and you're probably right. Our relationship is scandalous," or it was in terms of their physical age difference. "However, I don't want to hide you or what we share as if we're carrying on a dirty affair."

"Oh, I know." In all honesty, she wasn't ready to meet the judgmental looks and remarks they would be sure to garner. While the opinions of those people didn't really matter to her, it was still too soon for her. She was still dealing with the fallout from the reactions of her friends.

"So…your cooking won't kill me then?" Elijah asked after a pregnant pause, knowing that she wasn't comfortable with the thought of facing the town. He'd support her in whatever decision she made, though he couldn't deny the tug of disappointment he felt. He'd been ready to take her out and spoil her.

"No, and I doubt it would anyway…what with your supernatural healing and all." Leaning up, she placed a kiss on his neck before she pulled away from him and stood up.

Just as he was ready to stand and join her, an eerie feeling settled over him. His attention immediately moved towards the street before him. Nothing struck his attention, but he didn't feel the desire to turn his back on it.

Elena moved towards the door and unlocked it, before turning to look at Elijah, who was intently staring towards the street. "Is everything okay?" She waited for him to answer her, but he didn't pull his attention away from the area before him. "Elijah?" What did he see? Or rather, what did he think he saw or heard? "Elijah?"

Forcing his attention back to his companion, he spared her a quick glance, immediately noting the slight frown on her face. Once again, his gaze shot back towards to the street. When whatever distressing alarm he felt before, disappeared, he offered the brunette a shake of his head. "I'm sorry?"

She didn't question his actions, knowing that if something was wrong, he'd tell her. "Are you going to join me?" He didn't keep the truth from her or shelter her as Stefan and Damon had done in the past.

* * *

"_I am glad I have this moment," Mina said as she approached the handsome man. "There is a matter I wish to discuss with you." She waited until he turned his attention towards her before she continued. "Do I displease you?"_

_Taking in the appearance of the meek and petite red head, Elijah shook his head. She had certainly matured into a lovely young woman. If she had been anyone else, he might not have fought their arrangement with such fervor; but she wasn't. Whenever he looked at Mina, he still saw her unruly red hair and fierce brown eyes, the way she looked when she had still been Rebekah's playmate. _

"_Not at all, Mina," he denied softly. When her big brown eyes met his with an air of hopefulness, he frowned. She always watched him with a look of awe and trust, as if his word was the only truth that existed. It was what a young woman was bred to become, a dutiful wife; but he didn't want that, at least not with her._

"_Then why will you not embrace me?" A blush settled over her features as she thought on the words that she'd spoken. Just the idea of bearing her body to another in such a position was embarrassing; she had not meant to imply anything of the sort in her words. Pulling her gaze away from his face when his eyes lit up in interest, she pushed down her discomfort before turning back to meet his gaze. "You make no effort to speak to me, let alone look at me. You do not seek me out, lest it is at the request of your mother and father." In their world, people did not join in love; they did so out of arrangement. Yet she found herself in love with him, with the man that he was. Why could he not return it? Why could he put no effort forth? _

"_Mina, I cannot," he denied softly, knowing that he was hurting his companion. He hated knowing that his actions hurt her, but he couldn't sacrifice his own happiness for hers or that of his family. "I have already given my heart away."_

"_I understand that you are older, that you have experiences I have yet to endure," she shook her head. "I also know that it is possible to love more than one person at once." She had no knowledge of the lucky woman he had fallen in love with, and she did not care to know. She would not ask him to turn off his feelings, but why couldn't he open his heart and make room for her as well?_

"_Even if there was no one else, I do not think I could return your feelings," he added after a pregnant pause. "Mina, no matter what you do or what situation we will find ourselves in, I will always see you as Rebekah's playmate." Did he really need to divulge the fact that he felt most disgusting for entertaining the thought of her in any role other than that of a friend?_

_His words bit at her, stinging her in a way nothing else ever had. How could he possibly be denying her when he made no effort to know her? Tears bit at her eyes and she pulled her gaze away from him. _

"_Mina, I am not so cruel to say these things for no reason." He knew that as the eldest child, his actions reflected upon his family. He had known that his union would be one of an arrangement, and he had been resolved to that knowledge, until he met Tatia. "It would make our situation more tolerable if it was under different circumstances, however, I find myself resolved in my feelings. I will look for a way to be released from our arrangement."_

_Setting a hand over her heart, Mina shook her head. She had grown up with the knowledge that her appearance would secure her a handsome husband and a good life. She had never encouraged any suitors through her years, trusting that the man she was promised to was a good one. She was trained to become the sort of woman a man desired in a wife, and she'd excelled at it. No one had ever refused her. _

"_I do not understand this," she confessed with a sob. "How could you say such things? How could you deny me? I am to be your wife!"_

"_If there is any way out of this arrangement, you will not be," he denied softly. When tears traveled down her cheeks, he winced. "Mina, would you not rather join someone in love?"_

"_No," she shook her head. How could she possibly disclose to him that she loved him when he was so against her? "I was brought up to please you, though I did not know it was you I was to marry."_

"_Mina, I…"_

"_Leave me, Elijah."_

Gasping awake, Elena sat up. Her eyes were wet from a fresh bout of tears. When she felt the bed shift next to her, she looked to find Elijah turning towards her body.

"Elena?" His voice was husky from sleep and he struggled to open his eyes to look at her.

Shaking her head, she cleared her throat. "It was just a dream. Go back to sleep." Watching as he closed his eyes once again, she let out a deep breath. "It was just a dream…" It was just a dream, wasn't it?

Growing up, she'd always experienced intense dreams that often caused her to wake up suffering from a plethora of emotions that were enough to leave her breathless. Her parents called them 'night terrors,' and she'd never known different. Once she endured the initial dramatic effects, she was never able to recall on the dreams. Other than the emotions, she couldn't remember anything else. So when her parents assumed they were nightmares of sorts, who was she to disagree?

There was never any remembrance to the people in her dream or the places that her dreams had taken place in. However, Elena was very aware of her dream. She had dreamt of Elijah, though not just any Elijah, but a human one! What did it mean? Was she dreaming of Elijah turning her down because she was afraid that in waking life, he would pass her over for his former lover? Was she subconsciously trying to work that out? But if she was, then why had he called her Mina? She'd never heard the name before…at least she didn't think she had.

Or was her dream something else? Something more? She'd been having dreams for as long as she could remember, though she couldn't remember the dreams themselves, she'd experienced them. Was this last dream just like the ones she'd had previously, only this time she could remember it more because Elijah had stared in it?

Knowing that sleep would most likely elude her, she pushed the covers off of her form and tiptoed out of her room, hoping that she was quiet enough not to wake Elijah. After dinner, the two settled down for a quiet evening, reading a book together. Towards the end of the night, Elena had offered an invitation for her lover to stay over. He hadn't seemed anxious to leave her by herself and she hadn't wanted him to.

Pulling out the fixings for tea, the proper way to make a good cup of tea that Elijah had showed her, she quietly went about making her way around the kitchen. As she waited for the kettle to steep, her thoughts once again got the best of her. She tried to access any previous memories of her dreams. However, since she always had such a strong reaction to her dreams, she tended to push any memories away. Her parents would coax her to, telling her that if her reactions were so bad, then she shouldn't have to think about it in her waking life.

The past couple years, those dreams hadn't plagued her. Instead, she dreamt of her life and the people in it. She'd learned that dreams were a way of a person's subconscious mind working through issues. She'd dreamt and she'd had nightmares about Klaus and Jenna and John, and even her parents. Though none of her nightmares ever measured in intensity to the ones she'd had before.

When she heard the kettle whistle for her attention, she rushed to remove it from the heat before it woke Elijah up.

"What are you doing?"

Elena offered him a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry I woke you. I tried to be quiet and to catch the kettle as soon as it whistled, but I got lost in my thoughts."

How did she think that he could have slipped back into slumber when he had the knowledge that she was upset about something? "I thought you said it was a dream?" He couldn't remember the last time he'd ever had such a reaction from a dream state.

"It…it was."

Moving closer to her, his arms circled around her and he stepped flush against her body. "Are your dreams always so intense, inamorata?"

"Not always." She stopped fixing her tea as she melted into his embrace. "I've always had these dreams…and when I wake up my reactions are similar to what they were tonight. I was never able to remember what my dreams were about, and after I had a few with a similar reaction, my parents told me that I should brush it off. They were worried about me."

Leaning down, he placed a kiss on her neck; making sure not to go anywhere near his mark. Based on her reaction to his caress upon that spot, things tended to progress to a sexual level. Under different circumstances, he would have embraced it; but she needed to work through her confusion.

"I would wake up so overcome with whatever emotion I was experiencing in my dream, and I didn't want to remember what it was that I dreamt of. I didn't think I'd ever need to, and now I wish I hadn't done that."

"What did you dream of?"

Elena twisted her body around so she could face him. "You. I dreamt of you, as a human."

Her response was the last thing he ever expected to hear, and it was enough to cause his arms to go lax. "I beg your pardon?"

"You were in my dream, and you were human…and I was crying," she explained frowning. "Only it wasn't exactly me that was crying…" Pursing her lips, she tried to get her words together before she continued. "It was strange. I felt the emotions like it was me; but it wasn't me, you know?"

"How do you know I was human?"

"You weren't as pretty as you are now," she answered in a distracted manner.

While it was a serious conversation, he couldn't get over her description of him. "Pretty? I'm pretty?" He felt a small smile tugging at his mouth.

"Very pretty," she affirmed.

"That is very emasculating, isn't it? Could you not call me that around anyone…ever?" He would never hear the end of it if his brothers heard her all him that.

"What? It's true," she excused away. "You are, you all are. You were all attractive as humans, but when you transitioned, it was amplified."

His amusement swiftly died as she mentioned his human status once again. "And you believe you saw me as human?" He just didn't understand how that was possible.

"There was a girl…it was me, or I was her…I'm not sure exactly," and she knew she was butchering her words. "Does the name Mina mean anything to you?"

The name brought forth no recognition. There wasn't even a slip of familiarity to it. "No. It conjures nothing." He wished that he could confirm or deny her dream, but he was left clueless. "There isn't much that I do remember about my human life. After our transformation, things were difficult for us. We cut ties with our human lives, pushed away our memories."

"What do you remember?"

"I remember my siblings, my parents. I remember Tatia and Ayanna." No matter how much time had passed or how strained his relationships with his siblings grew, their faces never faded. "Mostly, I remember situations."

"And the name really doesn't mean anything to you? Because you obviously meant a lot to her, Elijah." When the expression on his face didn't change, she turned away from him, though she no longer desired any tea. Had she really just imagined it all? But if that was the case, then how could she know about the things that she'd dreamt? She wasn't a history buff, she didn't know about clothing or furnishings or everyday life of a person living a thousand years ago.

"I'm sorry I can't be more helpful," he offered quietly.

"It's not your fault." Shaking her head, she let out a weary sigh. "I just wish I knew why this was happening. It's not enough that you and I are going through this whole marking thing, but now I'm having dreams or remembering them? What if all these dreams I've had are about you, and I never knew? And maybe the answer has already been given to me, but because I was too naïve to do anything about it, it's gone?"

"We'll figure it out." The mantra was beginning to sound like a broken record, but he meant it. He would give her the answers she sought, it would just take time. Perhaps he should speak to his mother? Surely she had answers, or a way of leading them to the things that they needed. However, Elena didn't appear to be very receptive to the idea of involving his mother. How could he possibly broach such a subject with her?

* * *

AN: Sooo, what'd you guys think? Too hokey? I'm hoping to incorporate more dreams as the chapters go on, thus giving you all more of an insight into the connection that Elena and Elijah share.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you!

Eva: I just hope I didn't take too much on when it comes to the drama. You'll see what I mean. Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the Elejah moments, and I have been trying to balance out the different aspects of their relationship. There will be more dreams to come, and I will hopefully answer all your questions soon enough!

Aurora Space: I figure that if Elijah isn't taking care of his siblings, then he should be taking care of someone. Yes, I'm trying to work it so that Elena doesn't go with the usual bouts of inferiority when it comes to Elijah and his past. She doesn't so much doubt him, but she's worried about the way they came together. I still have a couple more chapters to go before there's any mention of the public, and even then it will just be in passing.

Author's Note: So, I had a bad night. Something happened to my computer and my writing program took a major crap and in effort to get my story back, I ended up deleting chapter 13, thus negating chapter 14. So I've decided to do a reboot of 12 before re-writing 13 and 14. It's a bummer too, because I was almost to page 200. Oh well...at least I still have access to my writing...

* * *

Chapter 9

"Geez, Elena. You look like crap," Caroline greeted as the two friends met up in the parking lot at school.

Offering her friend a dry smile, Elena shook her head. Leave it to Caroline to state the obvious. "I'm sure I do." She didn't think there was enough eye make-up in the world that could have possibly covered up the dark circles under her eyes. "I didn't sleep well." She hadn't been able to fall back asleep the previous night. Her mind was full of questions, and after Elijah's inability to answer her, she was left with even more unanswered thoughts and questions.

"Oh, is someone's boyfriend keeping them up?" Caroline wagged her eyebrows playfully.

Scrunching her nose, the brunette tasted the word on her tongue. 'Boyfriend.' It just didn't do Elijah's role in her life justice. He was so much more than that, and she had an overwhelming urge to correct her friend, but she was reminded of the place and time; neither of which worked at the moment. "Unfortunately, it's nothing like that. My dreams are back."

That was all her friend had to say. She remembered Elena's reactions to them well, having to end quite a few of their sleepovers through the years because of them. "I thought you grew out of those?" The brunette hadn't made mention of her dreams in quite a while.

"Yeah, me too," she muttered. "I went so long without them and then to start having them again. It is the most-" Trailing off, she frowned when she took in the appearance of the students that littered the parking lot and the front of school. People were hugging and crying. "Why is everyone so upset?"

Pulling her attention away from Elena, she looked around them. How had she missed the emotional distress that seemed to settle over the students? Using her advanced hearing, she strained to listen to multiple conversations at once. "I don't know how or…someone died," the blonde answered with a frown. Turning her attention to the students around them, she listened for more information.

"What? How? Who?" Elena asked, looking back at Caroline.

"You didn't hear?" Someone spoke up, having heard Elena's questions. "Lillian Dobson was found near Wickery Bridge. When she never returned home last night, her parents called the police and everything."

"Who found her?" Caroline asked, slipping into the conversation. She gazed at Trish Newton intently.

"Pastor Young. Can you believe it?" The tall brunette shook her head. "She was such a nice person, who would do something like that to her?" Thinking on the tragedy, she missed the intense looks that Caroline exchanged.

When Trish moved away from them, Caroline turned to Elena, whose facial features had already taken on a pale tint. She didn't need to be a mind reader to know where her friends' thoughts had gone. "It's got to be a coincidence." Lillian had nothing to do with Elena, the two didn't even have a mutual friend.

If she was lucky, she'd call it a coincidence, but that didn't happen very often in her life, at least not lately. No, in her life, things happened for a reason. "There's no way, Caroline." After being so closely entwined with the supernatural, she no longer believed in coincidences.

Caroline shook her head, attempting to dispel Elena's thoughts. "You barely even knew her. It's not like the two of you were friends anyway," the vampire denied easily.

Shaking her head, Elena pursed her lips. "We weren't," she agreed. "But there's no way…not after everything else." First the medical examiner was stabbed with a stake that had her fingerprints on it, and then Mr. Forbes, and then Alaric. No. "I don't know why she died, but it happened for a reason."

"She has similar features to you…er, had similar features," Bonnie broke in as she approached the two. She watched as Caroline turned her stunned gaze to Elena, mentally doing a comparison. At the same time, her brunette friend shook her head.

"No," Elena denied weakly.

"Oh my god, she so did!" Caroline hissed. Other than being slightly taller, Lillian had the same long brown hair and brown eyes. They even had a similar taste in their clothing. "Do you remember how many times people in class would get the two of you mixed up?"

Shaking her head, the brunette's heart began to stutter. "No, she…just, no. I am not responsible for this. I'm not." She refused to believe that an innocent girl was dead because of her. So many people had died already because she was a part of their lives.

Seeing that her friend was about to lose it, Bonnie stepped closer to her. "Elena, I was there." She and Abby were driving by when the church leader signaled them for help. From the short distance, she had mistaken the body for Elena. "When I saw Pastor Young hovered over her body…I thought it was you." Her heart had stopped for one brief moment in time and her world shattered. "I thought it was you," she repeated as her voice began to waver. "I thought that you had been killed and that you had died thinking I hated you."

Tears welled in the human's eyes. "Bonnie…"

The witch shook her head. "No." She needed to say it. She needed to clear the air between them before something else happened. "It was my stubbornness that caused this. I didn't understand how you and Elijah… and I still don't, but I won't do anything…" She rushed to add. "I thought I wouldn't care, but when I saw her lying there thinking it was you… Elena, I can't lose you. I'm so sorry for the way I acted and the things I said. And I'm sorry that it took such an act for me to get over my pride."

"You hurt me, Bonnie," Elena reminded her.

"I know," The Bennett girl acknowledged sadly. "And I will try and make up for it," she promised. She knew there would be groveling involved, and she was willing to do whatever she could to prove to Elena that she was serious about earning her forgiveness.

Yes, but what about Elijah? They were a package deal. "Elijah is a part of my life now, and he's not going anywhere." Would she be able to accept Elijah as well? "And because of our relationship, things with Klaus have changed." She would not participate in something that would harm or kill him; not because she owed it to him, but because of Elijah. It may have been a stupid decision on her part, but she trusted Elijah when he told her that she wouldn't regret it.

Questions floated to the forefront of her thoughts, but she bit them back. She didn't have the right to ask Elena anything about her relationship with Elijah. Instead, she rushed to reassure her. "I won't do anything against them, not if it means hurting you in the process."

Looking back towards the front of the school, Caroline watched as several police cars parked in front of the school. "My mom's here." She stared across the space that separated them, offering a weak smile when Liz Forbes settled her gaze on the three of them. "They're pulling students out of class to talk to them."

"I have to go to my locker before the bell rings," Elena excused lamely. "I'll see you guys later." Between Lillian's death and Bonnie's desire to make up, her head was already beginning to ache.

"Elena, wait." Bonnie moved to follow her.

Setting a hand over Bonnie's arm, Caroline shook her head when the brunette turned towards her in confusion. "She needs to process this." If Bonnie pushed Elena, she'd pull away from both of them; and that was the last thing that any of them needed.

* * *

"Do you have a minute?" Elena asked, knocking on the doorframe of the classroom.

"This is a surprise," Alaric mused as Elena sought him out during her lunch period. Other than class, she hadn't spared him a glance. After learning from Caroline that he'd been onboard with the others concerning their plans in taking on Klaus, she had given him the cold shoulder…and he'd let her. He didn't need to explain his decision, Elena knowing better than anyone how vengeful he was. "What can I do for you, Elena?"

She hadn't wanted a thing to do with him since finding out from Caroline that he'd been at the pow-wow that Damon and Bonnie had called that night. In the days that passed, they'd spoken only once outside of school, and that had been when he confronted her about not mentioning her evolving relationship with Elijah. "Lillian Dobson is dead."

He nodded. "I am aware." News of the young woman's death spread like wildfire through the school. The principal had called an emergency meeting before the school bell sounded, urging the teachers to keep vigil and take care of the students. Where was Elena going with this?

She nodded her head lamely. Of course he would know.

She'd never been an overly emotional person, but considering she'd lost so many important people in her life, maybe she was taking the news harder than he initially thought she would. Moving to the front of his desk, he crossed his arms. "Look, Elena, bad things happen and I know that in Mystic Falls they usually happen from a supernatural happening, but-"

"Bonnie thinks she was killed because we shared similar traits," Elena whispered, cutting him off.

Straightening up, a deep frown marred his features. All morning his thoughts had been on the poor girl, but he'd hoped against everything that it was nothing more than a tragedy. "Is she sure?" He thought back to the young woman and considered Bonnie's point. He personally didn't see it, but then again, he'd grown rather close to Elena in the months since his move to Mystic Falls.

"She is."

The pair looked up to find Liz Forbes standing in the doorway.

She moved her gaze from the concerned history teacher towards her daughter's pale best friend. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but I was hoping to speak to you, both of you." Moving closer to Elena, she offered the teenager a comforting smile. "How are you?"

Elena shook her head. "I can't believe that she's dead because of me. I know what Bonnie said, but it can't possibly be true."

"I'm afraid it may be," the blonde clarified. "Bonnie and her mother were the ones to make the call." She didn't dare disclose the knowledge that the young woman had been brutalized.

Once again the brunette shook her head, looking from Liz and then towards Rick. "I didn't even know her, I mean I talked to her in class, but that was it," she denied. "Who could have done this?"

"We still don't have a suspect, it's why we're talking to the students. We're hoping that one of them can give us something, anything."

"She was fine when I saw her yesterday," Elena muttered.

The confession pulled an intense reaction from both adults. Alarmed, Rick stepped closer to Elena. "What do you mean? You saw her yesterday outside of school? Where?"

"At the cemetery, I went to see my parents. I didn't talk to her or anything, I just saw her when I was leaving."

Sheriff Forbes frowned. "Was she alone? How did she appear?"

"When I left, she was talking to Pastor Young. He was…making his rounds I guess. He stopped to speak to me, and then he went to see her. She didn't seem scared or anything, but she was obviously mourning." She watched Liz scribble the information down on a pad of paper. "Sheriff Forbes? What does this mean for me?"

"I think it means that you're going to be on a buddy system for a while," Alaric answered before the sheriff could.

Elena nearly scoffed. "So I get a baby-sitter?" When would her life settle back down and dare she assume become normal…even if just a sliver to what her life was once like? Hadn't she suffered enough? Hadn't her friends and brother suffered enough?

Her reaction didn't waver his resolve and he met her gaze with an intense glare. "Looks like you picked a good week to start a romance with Elijah." He never thought he'd feel any sort of relief where Elena and Elijah were concerned; but he knew that Elijah could protect her better than anyone.

Liz blanched at the revelation, but wisely chose to keep her thoughts on the subject to herself. "I'm afraid Alaric is right, Elena. It's not wise to be alone right now."

* * *

"I'll be right back," Elena said, breaking the conversation across the table from her. When Bonnie asked her to meet her for dinner, she'd been hesitant to go. She didn't want to let her friend down, knowing that Bonnie was making an effort; but she hadn't been eager to go. When she mentioned to Elijah that Bonnie had apologized; though she didn't say a word about poor Lillian Dobson, he seemed cautious as well. While he hadn't expressly told her not to meet Bonnie; letting the decision lay with her, his voice sounded stilted.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Bonnie asked as Elena stood up from the booth. That night, she'd invited Elena and Caroline to meet her at The Grill, anxious to completely clear the air between them. She knew that she was judgmental and unforgiving, and it was something she was attempting to deal with. However, her heart had stopped the moment she saw Lillian's body. She had honestly thought Elena's life had been lost.

She couldn't believe how blasé she'd been concerning her revenge against Klaus or the fallout from that. Upon learning about Elena's relationship with Elijah, she'd known that things would never be the same. Elena didn't do casual; however, she ignored that knowledge. She refused to think on the importance of the Original where her friend was concerned. She wanted Klaus gone, she wanted him dead, and she would not fail! However after the previous night, she realized the error in her thinking.

She didn't expect Elena to forgive her so swiftly, as forgiving as she could be. However, she found a distance there that hurt her more than she was willing to admit. Bonnie knew that her actions were what spurned it on, so she tried not to push the subject. As she and Caroline took charge of the conversation, she kept constant attention on Elena's quiet form sitting across from her.

Attempting to calm her nerves, Elena shook her head. While she understood Bonnie was concerned, she was getting fed up with the constant worrisome stares from both the witch and the vampire she was with, and it had only been hours. "I'll be fine. I think I can manage to make it to the restroom by myself. I doubt that someone will kidnap me on the way."

"You never know…" Caroline muttered, shutting her mouth when Elena glared at her. "Okay, fine." Easily turning back towards Bonnie, she slipped back into their conversation.

Turning around, Elena stalked away from the table. Letting out a heavy sigh, she took a deep breath, thankful for the moment alone. Other than the stilted conversation about Elijah and Bonnie's apology, she had remained mostly quiet as her friends dominated the conversation. It was a decision that worked well for her. She found herself feeling more cautious and guarded than she'd felt upon making up with Caroline.

"For someone who just made up with her friend, you seem awfully subdued…"

Elena narrowed her eyes as she looked at the person walking next to her. Kol kept a slight distance between their bodies, only looking at her through the corner of his eyes. "And you're following me why?" To the casual observer, they appeared to be two strangers walking in the same direction.

"What would you say if I told you that I wanted to be close to you?"

When she neared the restrooms she came to an abrupt stop, turning towards him completely. "I'd say that you were full of it," she retorted, calling him on his words. "I don't know you very well, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that coyness is not a trait you possess." He met her gaze head on, never wavering from it. "And considering the fact that I hardly know you, and you know the situations in my life, I'm a little confused."

"I may not know you, but I know you through Elijah," he excused.

"And what has he said?" She was honestly curious about what her lover had to say where she was concerned. He was always so quiet and reserved, did he talk about her with his siblings?

"To me?" He asked. "Nothing." That wasn't to say he hadn't heard his brother talk with Finn. "But I do know that you must be something special to get him to change his ways. My brother has had his fair share of casual hook-ups. And whenever our siblings had anything to say about his lovers, he never once bothered to defend them the way that he defended you." Stepping closer to her, his eyes ran across her face before roaming down her body.

Taking notice of the fact that he was essentially checking her out, Elena forced herself to not to fidget under his perusal. She knew he wasn't doing it in a sexual way, but in his own way to make her uncomfortable.

"And I'm thinking it has something to do with the scar on your neck," he finished, after meeting her eyes once again. When her hand subconsciously moved towards the mark on her neck, he fought back a smirk.

How did he know? How was it that he noticed it after their first close encounter? She'd been close to both Damon and Stefan, but neither had noticed. Caroline hadn't noticed! Had Elijah said something to Kol? If he had, that would have been one thing. However, Elijah seemed almost leery when it came to his siblings, as if he didn't trust them. He'd told her that he confided in Finn, but he didn't mention his youngest brother.

"What do you know?"

Letting out a small laugh, Kol smirked and shook his head. "That's a loaded question, isn't it?"

"I mean about the mark," she clarified with a strained tone of voice.

"Enough to know that if I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it," he retorted. Judging by the confusion that decorated her face, it was easy to discern that his brother had done little to explain things to her. "This isn't a common occurrence, Elena. It is such a rare thing, that we thought it was nothing more than a rumor, a lie that someone once started." Of course he knew about as much as the rest of his siblings, never taking the time to really consider it. Being mated never had sounded particularly enticing to him. One woman for the rest of his existence? Not for him! "I can't believe that my brother marked you. He's always been the most cautious of us." When he noticed the slight narrowing of her eyes, he clarified his statement. "When I say that, I don't mean to insult you, but you are so…"

When he had trouble finishing his sentence, she came up with flattering words for him. "Compassionate? Beautiful? Enchanting?"

"Human."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," she nearly scoffed.

Noticing the attention they were garnering, from those standing near them; Kol grabbed her hand and pulled her to a darker area of the room. "Surely you know that my family is special. It took us years to establish our standing." They'd all faced adversaries, beings stupid enough to believe that they could be conquered one by one. "That is threatened by his relationship with you."

Seeing where his words were heading, Elena looked away from him as she processed his view. While she'd known that she and Elijah were in two completely different places in their lives, she hadn't thought on the difficulties he would face because of her. She assumed that those would look down on him, them; but to act against them? They were the Originals! Surely they were infallible. "Because I'm not important enough," she breathed out. At least she wasn't in the grand scheme of things. She had no supernatural abilities.

"You are important…to him. Oh, it's because of your human status," he answered honestly. "If more people knew about you, they would probably hurt you to get to us."

"Us?" Since when was he involved in her life?

"We may all have our differences, but we are a united front. While acting against you would be a direct insult to my brother, we would all feel that."

"And just like that, you would help me? You don't even know me." If he spoke to Klaus or Rebekah, his attitude would change.

"Family…always and forever." He watched as she seemed to muse over his words. It was obvious she had no idea what to say to his words, not that he expected much at that moment. Elena appeared to also have the trait of cautiousness, and he could see that she was hesitant. "You haven't told my brother what happened, why?

Seriously, was he stalking her? She didn't even know him, and he knew way too much about her life. "How do you even know? Are you stalking me?"

"You're important to Elijah, and he's important to me," he hedged not wanting to tell her just how much time he'd spent following her that day.

Elena looked away from his preening gaze. "I didn't tell him because I didn't want to worry him."

"So you'd rather him live in ignorance?" Did she not know his brother? "Just so you know, my brother is probably already aware of it…" If Elena was involved in something, Elijah would make it his business…had made it his business.

The thought had crossed her mind in passing. "Do you think he'll care? Right now it's just assumption." He was mellow enough not to put too much stock in Bonnie's words.

"Do you have a death wish or something?" He'd never met someone who was so complacent about things in their life. "Are you always this naïve, or is this some sort of coping mechanism you've developed because you don't want to deal with this? And yes, I do think that he'll care."

She knew that her attitude came off as flippant, and she didn't mean to sound as if she was an idiot. "He doesn't need to deal with this. Like you pointed out before, he will already have enough to deal with. I don't need to add to it."

"I really think that's out of your control," he advised easily.

"Yes, I'd say so."

Elena turned to look at their new companion. "Elijah…" He met his gaze and offered an uneasy smile. The features on his face were severe and his eyes were just as strict. "You're angry…"

Turning his attention towards his younger brother, Elijah spoke in a controlled voice. "Kol, I appreciate your help, but I'll take it from here."

Sensing that he was being dismissed, Kol looked from Elijah towards Elena. The two were back to staring at one another, one in anger and one in caution. "Got it. Elena, it's been a pleasure. You two kids have yourselves." Shaking his head, he realized that he did not envy his brother. Not only did he demand control, but he expected loyalty from those closest to him. He would expect complete fealty, and Elena, as a human, did not understand that; at least not to the same degree that a vampire would.

Elena waited for Kol to walk away before she spoke again. "You had your brother watch me, really?" What happened to Elijah trusting her decisions?

Not bothering to confirm nor deny her words, he straightened. "Grab your items and make your excuses to your friends. I'm talking you home."

His words surprised her and she would have laughed if the situation wasn't so precarious. "I beg your pardon?"

He watched as she straightened up and peered into his eyes, as if testing his resolve on the matter. "I am not above putting you over my shoulder and carrying you out of here," he warned in a deadly serious voice. He stood taller and arched a single eyebrow at her; as if to dare her to argue with him.

"You have got to be kidding me," she muttered, mostly to herself, but he heard her all the same.

"I assure you, I am not," he replied gravely. He really didn't wish to embarrass her or bring attention to their arrangement, but he would if he needed to...gossip be damned.

"This isn't necessary," she argued softly, cautious about the patrons that surrounded them.

"Imagine my surprise when I left my room this evening, eager to see you; only to find Alaric waiting for me in the lobby of the hotel. We had an interesting chat, he and I." He watched as her eyes widened before she pulled her eyes away from him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Just because we're this…thing, doesn't mean you have every right to know what happens in my life," she spat back, her anger speaking for her. In that moment, she felt small and insecure, and she was angry with him for making her feel such. As soon as the words left her mouth, she'd known that she had no right saying them, but his actions against her made her want to lash out. When the shade of his eyes darkened considerably, she stood stock still; knowing he was angry, but refusing to be the first to apologize.

His eyes flashed dangerously at her words, but he held back from saying anything because of their surroundings. "Things, now, Elena," he nearly growled.

During the ride back to her house, the couple stewed in their anger. Elena, both insulted and annoyed with his actions refused to so much as look at him. Elijah, on the other hand, kept a keen eye on her through his peripheral vision. Every so often his hands would tighten on the steering wheel as he thought back on her words at The Grill.

As soon as he parked the vehicle, Elena grabbed her purse and exited the sleek and expensive car. Grabbing her keys out of her purse, she stalked up her porch stairs and attempted to unlock the door; finding difficulty under the harsh light of night.

Stepping up behind her, Elijah let out a sigh of exasperation when she attempted to unlock her door, failing to do so after a few attempts. "Can't you even place a key in a lock?" He knew his question was unfair, but her attitude irked him in a way that no one else was capable of.

Straightening up, she scowled at him. "I'll tell you where I can place my key…"

The fire in her eyes and flush in her cheeks aroused him and he briefly thought to entice it more often. "I'd like to see you try," he returned with one perfectly arched eyebrow. He held out his hand, waiting for her to drop her keys in it.

Exhaling a deep breath, she gave him her keys. "What is your problem?"

Opening the door, Elijah held it open for Elena as he followed her inside. Pushing down the anger and confusion he felt, he shut it softly and turned to face her. "Do you have any idea how horrific my thoughts turned after my conversation with Alaric? I called Kol and asked him to keep an eye on you as I had other situations to deal with." He wouldn't apologize for it. While Kol had the ability to frustrate him more than the rest of his siblings, he knew that he could trust him to keep an eye on Elena until he was free. "I went to see the body, Elena. This poor girl was hacked to death; it must have been a very agonizing way to die. And just the thought that someone acted against her because she had similar traits to you…" He sighed then, his anger draining slightly. "Elena I will commit murder if someone so much as looks at you wrong."

"I don't need a baby-sitter!"

"Apparently, you do!" He shot back just as intensely as she spoke. "And everyone seems to see that, except for you."

"It isn't as if the killer has come out and said that he was specifically acting against me," she sniffed. "Look, I know that I should never have lied to you…and it's not like I was hoping to keep this a secret," Elena rain a hand through her hair. "I just…I didn't want things to change between us."

"Excuse me?" Her words caught him off guard. That's why she was arguing against him?

"Like now," she went on, waving a hand in his direction. "You and I are still trying to set this natural progression, and I didn't want that to change. I already feel as if I'm this weakling who doesn't deserve to be with you, the last thing I need is to be even more of a burden."

"Damn it, Elena!" Stepping closer to her, he placed his hands on her upper arms before pulling her against his body before claiming her mouth in a kiss. When he felt her struggle against him, his hold on her tightened and he kissed her more firmly, coaxing her into responding to him. When her tongue finally met his and she began returning his kiss with equal fervor, his hold on her relaxed. Instead of forcing her against him, he held her tiny form against his, never wanting her to leave him. When her body melted against him, Elijah pulled away from her mouth. "Are you better now?"

Still mesmerized by their kiss and the fact that he'd taken to kissing her rather than argue with her, she nodded her head. "Yes," she admitted breathlessly.

"Good." Running a hand through his hair, he stepped back from her, never breaking eye contact. "Don't you understand what you mean to me?"

He really was the most frustrating being. How had they gone from arguing to kissing and then to talking? "I…didn't…I didn't think that-"

"You are my everything," he confessed quietly. Not only was he surprising her by the intensity behind his words, but himself as well. He wasn't exactly sure when it happened, but it had. "The things that I own can be replaced, but I can't lose you, I won't."

"You don't-"

"I do," he interrupted seeing where her words were heading. "This isn't some casual affair for me, Elena. I thought you understood that?" His eyes bore into hers, searching for…something.

"I do," she replied in a whisper. She believed that he cared for her deeply. Elijah didn't do things halfway, so she understood that their relationship was more than a casual fling. Her trouble fell into the thought that this hadn't happened by choice, or at least conscious thought. Because of one afternoon, he was stuck with her.

"I don't think you do," he countered just as softly. And that upset him more than he was willing to share. He hated the differences that separated them. He hated that her human mind couldn't comprehend the total finality of mates. "I know I haven't explained the marking very well, and my complete ignorance over the subject is to blame. I will find the answers we need, Elena. I promise you that." Cupping her face in his hands, he continued to hold her gaze. "You are it for me, Elena. There will never be another. If something were to happen to you, I would never love another. Now that I have you, I will do anything in my power to keep you."

Her stomach clenched with an immeasurable amount of lust. He hadn't exactly said the words 'I love you,' but he may as well have. His words implied it well enough. "I keep saying and thinking these things…and I don't mean to hurt you." His hands still framed her face and his thumbs began to stroke her cheek. She closed her eyes, embracing the touch.

"You doubt me," he replied, not willing to inform her that her words did hurt.

Shaking her head as well as she could since his hands still framed her face. "No, I doubt me."

"Why?" He waited for her to answer, but instead, she nibbled on her bottom lip. "I guess I'll just have to believe for you."

* * *

AN: Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

Valkyrie Beauty: So I was able to get some writing done this week, and even up towards page 200 (second time around) there is no mention of changing Elena, other than the knowledge that she eventually will be.

Chinapps22: Yes, I do prefer him that way myself, I just tend to shy away from it because I don't think I am able to capture it correctly.

Eva: So glad that you liked it! So, yeah, the dead girl that looked like her, I hope it wasn't too cheesy. And I really hope that when I get through everything that it won't all suck, you know? As for Elena's inability to quickly forgive her, maybe that's my own dislike for Bonnie coming out...just a tidbit? So the Elejah moment at the end wasn't cheesy? I was so worried, you know?

SwanQueen4055: Thank you!

Ellam18: Glad you're enjoying it, and I hope that you like what's to come.

Aurora Space: I'm hoping that when I tie everything in together, the liberties I've taken with that particular storyline don't suck! I really didn't want Alaric to be the bad guy in my story, so I've probably ruined things from other seasons, but hey, AU and all that... While Alaric doesn't care or Elijah, he feels that he'd be better able to protect Elena than Damon. I'll have to add more Kolena scenes, because I like writing them too. As for Elena not easily forgiving them, why should she? I don't want it to seem like Caroline and Bonnie have to 'earn' their way back, but she's just hesitant at this moment in time.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

* * *

Chapter 10

Walking into the foyer of the Mikaelson mansion, Elena stopped as her eyes scanned the room for Caroline or Matt; knowing that Elijah would be busy greeting the guests along with the rest of his family.

Elena and Caroline had been cautious when Matt told them of Rebekah's invite as her date, and both attempted to warn him against her. It did no good, resulting in an argument between the three. While Matt knew that Caroline and Elena didn't care for the Original, he'd personally had no issue with her. He was usually willing to give people a chance; not judging them based on their actions against others, until they acted against him. In the end, he placated them both by promising he would keep an eye out for anything she may decide to do; before announcing that Caroline had been invited as Klaus' date.

The revelation both shocked and worried her. The only difference between Caroline and Matt was that Matt always tried to give people the benefit of the doubt. It was a noble trait to have, if one wasn't dealing with the Originals. She didn't worry about Caroline, knowing that she was strong enough not to fall for Klaus' act. However, the fact that her friend had caught his eye was disconcerting. She knew that Klaus had saved Caroline's life, but she didn't realize that things had progressed in such a way. The fact that Caroline even agreed to be his date meant that she was able to see him in a different light, and Elena didn't know if she liked that. At least she wouldn't have to warn Caroline about anything, and after becoming involved with Elijah; she knew that she had no right to judge anything.

When the invitations for the ball had gone out, it created quite a buzz around town. Esther made sure to invite all of the founding families and the highest standing members of the community. It meant that the desperate and the gossip mongers were out in numbers that evening, all hoping to land a dance with the attractive Mikaelson boys in hopes to entice them into something long term. And of course, if that didn't happen, there was always the chance to bad mouth those that did.

"You are enchanting, Elena."

She knew by the accent that it was the last person she desired to spend any time with. Pasting an obviously fake smile on her face, Elena nodded at Klaus as he approached her. "Thank you," she replied in a stiff voice.

"In this moment, I can see what my brother sees in you," he offered up with the same insincere smile. When her eyes flashed, his smile turned more sincere. "I must confess that I am seriously displeased you're your newfound relationship. I thought that you would have appreciated my pledge to help protect you?"

"Yes," she nodded once. "And all I would have had to do was sign over my bloodline," she finished with an air of nonchalance. "What was I thinking?"

Ignoring her sarcasm, he sighed. "I just don't know," he agreed with a sad shake of his head. "Perhaps you can enlighten me during a dance this evening?"

His question confused her. Why would he want to dance with her? Was he serious? "I…"

"You will save me a dance, won't you?" He asked, enjoying the confusion splayed over her face. "It would give us the perfect opportunity to catch up."

"I doubt there's much I'd care to hear," she replied with a sugary sweet smile. Even if her relationship with Elijah hadn't evolved, she wouldn't have given into Klaus' desire.

"Let's see then?" He returned with a smile, enjoying the fact that she was undeniably annoyed with his presence.

"And what makes you sure that I have an open spot on my dance card?" When she spoke to Elijah about the ball, he assured her that he wouldn't leave her side if he could help it.

"My brothers have each asked Elijah's permission for a dance with you. And no matter how much my brother may wish to deny them, he is also promised to dance with our mother and sister." He watched as Elena looked away from him, her eyes sweeping across the room. "Ah, you are no doubt searching out my brother…"

She wished she wasn't so conspicuous. However, she was confused as to why Klaus had been the one to greet her, not Elijah. It couldn't have been Kol or…anyone else?

"I believe you will find him near the greeting line with the rest of our siblings." He studied her reactions intently, taking in the appearance of his mother and Rebekah in their expensive gowns before moving on Kol and then Finn.

"I assume that Finn is the one between Kol and Elijah?"

"It is," he acknowledged quietly, wondering how it came to be that she'd already been introduced to Kol. However, he tempered down the question. When her eyes widened on the woman hovering near Elijah, and she frowned before pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth, he sighed. "And that is Lucy. She's rather beautiful, isn't she?"

Not bothering with verbal acknowledgment, Elena nodded, keeping a keen eye on the fact that she stood close to Elijah…too close for her liking. Even from the distance that separated her from him, she was able to read the annoyance in Elijah's eyes as Lucy continued to fawn over him; as if she was staking a claim on him in front of the guests.

Clearing her throat, Elena looked away from the greeting line. It was too late though. Elijah hadn't been joking when he said that Lucy was very attractive. Her body was perfectly proportioned and her make-up only accentuated her facial features. The blood red dress that she wore clung to her slim frame and left nothing to the imagination, she was a vision. And Elijah had spent nearly a decade with her, touching her, loving her body… The thought cruelly tormented her.

Casting a quick glance down at her own attire. It was a full length, empire waist, strapless ball gown. The top portion was detailed in gold sequence with a band of satin wrapped underneath it with gold satin and a like color lace flowing from it. The first time she saw the gown, she'd fallen in love with it. Yet in that moment, it felt more adolescent than ever. She hadn't even had a chance to get her hair done, so she'd curled her hair and clipped it to the side, exposing the scar that Elijah had left on her.

"You have nothing on her, but my brother's tastes have always been eccentric…or, singular…" He smiled at her, when she offered him a withering glare. When she moved past him without so much as another glance, he turned around to look at her. "So, I'll make sure to save you a dance later then?"

Huffing quietly at his departing words, Elena shook her head in attempt to clear his words from her thoughts. Looking ahead, she spotted Caroline and Matt against a far wall and made her way through the crowd; offering polite smiles where she should.

"I am so glad you guys are here," she confessed when she joined the two.

"Elena, you look beautiful," Caroline complimented as she leaned over and hugged her friend.

"You too," she replied. Caroline had the ability to own every outfit she wore. She could wear a potato sack with accessories and it would be a new fashion statement at school.

"You think?" The blonde asked, wrinkling her nose. She wasn't fishing for compliments, but since she wasn't the one to pick out her outfit, she'd been nervous about wearing it.

Looking towards Elena, Matt rolled his eyes. "You know you do," he spoke then. "And yes, 'Lena, you look beautiful."

Offering him a sweet smile, her insecurities waned a bit. "Thank you, Mattie. And you are very handsome tonight, Rebekah is a lucky girl." She still didn't agree with Rebekah's decision in inviting him as her date, worried that the Original was simply using him; but he was handsome. "Whenever we had to make appearances together, you never let me down."

"Of course he didn't," Caroline broke in. "We had him trained by then."

Elena giggled and shook her head at Caroline's words. "When Elijah asked me to be his date, I thought he would have at least greeted me," she confessed softly. "Did you guys talk to Klaus and Rebekah?" When both of her companions nodded, she frowned.

Easily seeing where Elena's thoughts were heading, Caroline placed a hand on Elena's arm. "But it was only for a second. They do have their hosting duties," she gently reminded her friend.

The brunette nodded and offered a thin smile. "I know. It's just…this was supposed to be our coming out event. What if he changed his mind?"

"Any guy would be lucky to have you, Elena. Why are you worried?"

"At least with Rebekah, she goes to our school," she replied in a whisper. "And because Klaus is only a few years older than us," or so the rest of Mystic Falls thought, "it won't be so scandalous when you take up with your partners for the first dance. But Elijah can't claim the same. I'm sure that a majority of people will think of him as a pedophile for taking up with me!" She finished in a whispered exclamation.

Gossip could be hard on anyone, and it would have been naïve of her not to expect it. Hell, if it had been anyone else under a normal circumstance, she probably would have been one of them. If she was just an average teenager and Elijah was an eligible bachelor who was interested in her, one would only assume there was something wrong with him. She didn't hold a prejudice against couples with years between them, but her being as young as she was, what could she possibly have to offer him? And that was exactly what those old biddies and spurned women would say.

"Elena, you are…breathtaking."

Turning around, she found Elijah standing a respectable distance away from her.

"Simply breathtaking," he added as he grabbed her hand and raised it to his lips. Squeezing it in affection, he offered her a smile as he released her hand. "I am very sorry that I couldn't greet you when you arrived," he apologized. That being said, he had not missed her entrance.

"I understand, you had your hosting duties," she excused, refusing to think back on her insecurity.

Casting a polite smile at her friends, he turned back to the enchanting brunette. "Are you ready for this, inamorata?"

Elena nodded her head with resolve. As nerve wrecking as it was to think about the gossip that would follow, in the end, it meant little to her. The closest people in her life knew, and that was what was important. "Are you?" He wasn't having second thoughts was he? She'd seen him with Lucy, and they made an attractive pair.

"Of course not," he denied with a shake of his head. "How are your feet?"

"My feet?"

"Yes, this pedophile is ready to dance with you," he replied with a casual manner. When a blush crept up her cheeks, he let out a laugh. From the moment she'd entered the house, he had been very aware of her. As soon as he'd been able to, he'd made excuses to join her. As he stealthily maneuvered through the throng of guests, he managed to hear her whispered words to her friends.

"Elijah, I-"

Grabbing her hand in his, he laced their fingers together. "It's okay, Elena," he excused, moving closer to her body to hide their joined hands from any on lookers. "I am already aware of how this will look towards everyone," he gently reminded her. With one last parting glance, he pulled his hand away from hers before moving towards the grand staircase.

When they noticed that Elijah joined his family on the staircase, the three friends moved away from the wall.

"If everyone could gather please," Elijah spoke loudly, garnering the attention from their guests. His eyes moved towards Elena, watching as she moved closer to him before continuing on. "Welcome, and thank you for joining us," he paused long enough to insert his patented gracious smile. "You know, whenever my mother brings us together like this, its tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance." His supernatural hearing was able to detect the murmuring from the hopeful women looking to secure not only his attention, but those of his brothers. "Tonight's pick is a centuries old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ball room."

With practiced grace, the Mikaelson siblings moved back into the crowd as partners were taken. Being the last to join the mass, Elijah watched as his siblings partnered up.

"Are you ready to dance?"

Looking towards Lucy, he nodded. "I am, if you'll excuse me." Without a backwards glance, he moved towards Elena, thankful when she met him half-way. "Are you ready, lover?" He purred in a low tone, so as not draw attention from those standing close to them. Holding out his arm, his smile widened when he heard the gasps of surprise from on-lookers.

Ignoring the furious Lucy and surprised guests, she focused on the eldest Mikaelson sibling. "I believe I am," Elena replied nervously as she locked her arm through his.

Placing a hand on top of her arm that was joined with his, he led her towards the direction of the ball room. "Good, because there is no going back now," he warned easily.

Once they joined the dancers in the ballroom, everyone took their respective positions, waiting for the orchestra to begin.

"I know I apologized for being unable to greet you," Elijah spoke after the music began and he and Elena came together. "What I didn't tell you before was, it was probably a good thing. I may have taken you to the nearest vacant room and had my wicked way with you."

Feeling the familiar heat rush through her body, Elena shook her head. "You shouldn't say things like that," she denied weakly.

"Why not? They are true," he countered. "And the way you decided to wear your hair…I desire nothing more than to complete my mark." She may not have realized her actions, but he did. The fact that she wore her hair; exposing his mark, she was stating their relationship for all to see. He knew Finn and Kol were aware of just how deep his connection with Elena ran; the rest of his family remained clueless. He could only hope that when they saw the mark that they would have enough class not to draw attention to it.

While she didn't comment on his words, she was thrilled with his reaction to her decision. She couldn't explain it, but she had a desire to please him…in whatever way. The past few days had been awkward. The night that he'd taken her home from The Grill had changed things. After their argument, he'd spared no details, telling her exactly how he felt where she was concerned and she'd returned the sentiments. The intensity of his emotions may have outshined hers, but they were still there. She did her best to explain her feelings, not only for him, but about their situation. They ended their evening with a tender exchange of kisses and the promise that whatever situation arose would be shared, even if it was nothing more than speculation. Since then, neither initiated any intimacy, and Elena was beginning to feel the effects.

* * *

"We haven't been introduced yet, I'm Lucy."

Excusing herself from the conversation she was having with an old family friend, Elena turned around to meet the icy gaze of the female vampire. "Yes, I'm Elena." She'd been expecting to come face to face with her at least once through the course of the evening. After the way that Elijah not so subtly snubbed her when it came to the first dance of the evening, she'd been waiting for a confrontation. Once the dancing had begun, Elijah kept her occupied for the first three before relinquishing her hand to his brothers. After dancing once with Kol, he excused himself from her, claiming that he wanted to find a partner for the rest of the evening.

"Yes, I know who you are. You're the human that managed to ensnare Elijah's attention…"

"While I wouldn't put it that way, I guess I am," Elena agreed uneasily.

Stepping closer to the human before her, Lucy narrowed her eyes on her, hoping that she would be able to intimidate her. "Listen, I don't know what you're playing at, but it needs to stop," she hissed. Sweeping her eyes across the humans' face and further down, her perusal stopped when she settled on the exposed portion of Elena's neck. "Is that?" Peering closer, her excellent eyesight took in the ridges. "Oh my god…he marked you." Gone was her indignant anger as shock and awe closed over her. "He…you…" Shaking her head, Lucy stepped back.

Self-consciously, Elena placed a hand over her neck. She watched with avid interest as the fire died in the vampires eyes as she became a stuttering mess.

"I had no idea," Lucy finished in a whisper, her eyes welling with remorse. "I just thought that he had gone crazy," she confessed, staring past Elena's shoulders at Elijah's dancing form. "Of course he did. He marked a human," she hissed, more to herself than Elena.

When she stepped back to turn away, Elena placed a hand on her arm. "Wait," she ordered, "please," she added, realizing that Lucy owed her nothing. "Do you know what this means?" She was able to grasp the basic concept of it, but she needed more. "I mean, the entirety of it?"

"You don't?" Not only was Elijah involved with a human, but a marked one as well; a human that obviously held no knowledge. "Stupid man," she muttered. How could Elena possibly be prepared when she had no idea what to expect?

Pursing her lips, Elena considered whether or not she should disclose the information to her companion. She hadn't even told her best friends about it, how could she talk to this stranger? More than that, how did she know Lucy could even provide answers? "No," she confessed meekly, hoping she hadn't made a mistake. "We do have a few questions. Mainly, why did a vampire mark a human? Has it been done before?"

"Mates are a rare occurrence, and it's never happened to me, but I may…" Lucy trailed off as she thought on a couple of friends of hers. She knew that a phone call was in order. Elena wasn't just a human that could be used against Elijah, she was his mate. If that information got out to the wrong person… "Elena, I really am sorry for my behavior." She wasn't referring to her actions that night, but her actions where Elijah was concerned since her arrival. "I had no idea that he was in such a position. If you'll excuse me…" she stepped away from Elena, not really giving her a chance to argue.

Watching as the woman walked away, Elena spun around towards the dance floor. Her eyes immediately sought out Elijah's form, and when she found him looking at her over his dance partner's shoulder; she offered him a small smile in effort to show him that Lucy hadn't said or done anything to upset her.

"That was weird," she muttered quietly. She would definitely need to speak to Elijah when she had a chance.

"Yes, she can be," Finn said, offering her a polite smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Elena. My brother has told me so much about you." He grabbed her hand and brought it to his mouth, placing a kiss on the back of it.

"It's good to meet you as well."

He nodded his head at her as he led her towards the foyer; away from eager ears, before he dropped her hand.

Silently thankful that he brought her to a quiet area, she spoke up once again. "I also wanted to thank you for being there for Elijah. I'm glad that he had someone to turn to." She knew that Klaus and Rebekah would no have been a source of comfort to him, and so she thankful that he had one.

"Elijah supported us more often than not, it was only fair that I returned the favor," he excused. When she offered him a genuine smile, she returned the action. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just…I like hearing about his past." Shaking her head, she let out a sad sigh. "Given the fact that we're essentially tied to one another for the rest of our lives, I feel as if I don't even know him."

"Not essentially," Finn corrected her in a soft voice. "You are. As for the rest, you'll get there; you'll have plenty of time to get to know one another."

How could she tell him that it was something she worried about? Since the revelation about their situation, she had worked on her own self-esteem issues; but every so often, her doubts would sneak up on her. She was afraid that the more entangled Elijah was in her life, the closer he would be to opening his eyes. She feared that he would realize what a mistake it would be to be with her, and then he'd leave her in the dust. Because really, what did she have to offer him? Past lovers aside, she had nothing. She was still a baby compared to him, when he had a thousand years of experience under his belt. Didn't he find her immature and lacking?

"Enough of that, now," he gently pushed, hoping to sway her from her thoughts.

She shook her head. "I didn't say anything."

"You don't have to," he said with a half-smile. "Has anyone ever told you that you have expressive eyes?"

"I've heard it once or twice. I suppose my thoughts are just getting away from me," she waved away, easily enough. "Sometimes I feel like I'll wake up one day, and this will all have been nothing more than a dream."

However before the pair could continue on, their attention was drawn to the front door; or rather, beyond it.

"Is someone fighting?" Elena asked, hearing the muffled sounds of a heated exchange.

"It does sound like it." Opening the door, he spotted his doorman being ganged up on by two excellently dressed vampires. Casting a quick glance at Elena, he was easily able to work out the names of the two.

"It is invitation only."

"Then invite us in," the dark haired vampire growled.

Stepping forward, Finn broke up the scuffle. "It's alright, Robert. I'll take it from here," he said. Pulling the human away from the potentially dangerous situation, he straightened up. "You must be the Salvatore brothers…" It wasn't a question. "What can I do for you?"

"We want to speak to Klaus."

Finn pursed his lips and shook his head. "I'm afraid that you've come at a bad time. We're hosting a party at the moment."

Stepping up to the door, Elena watched from the entryway as Finn squared off against Damon and Stefan. Both Salvatore Brothers appeared more threatening in that moment than she could remember seeing them being in the past. Shifting away, she hoped not to bring attention to herself. She hadn't spoken to either brother since the day she'd come clean with them about her situation with Elijah.

"Elena," Stefan voiced then, catching sight of her.

Able to see the way that she attempted to shrink away from their probing gazes, the Original cleared his throat. "Can't this wait until later?" Finn asked, drawing the attention back to him. He attempted to shift in front of Elena, blocking her from their line of sight.

As if someone from a close distance was listening for an introduction, a silent shot went off and something penetrated Stefan's shoulder. He cried out in pain and immediately dropped to the ground.

As Damon and Finn turned their attention towards the open darkness, hoping their excellent gaze would pick up on something, Elena ran to Stefan's fallen form and began checking him over for other injuries.

"Elena, go inside," Finn ordered, though he had yet to return his attention towards her.

Not moving from Stefan's side, she turned her face the Original. "Excuse me?" Was he serious?

Hearing the shock in her voice, Finn turned his attention back on her.

"You can't possibly think I'd leave him here like this," she added on when he didn't say a word to her.

"Elena-"

Yet before any further words could be spoken, Damon dropped to the ground as well.

"Get in the house right now," Finn ordered, moving to shield Elena from whatever threat.

"I'm not going to leave them here," she hissed. It didn't matter if she was angry with them; she wouldn't run to safety while both were incapacitated and under attack from an unknown assailant.

Casting a worried glance behind him, he looked into the darkness. Doing the calculations in his mind, negatives were adding against them with every second that passed. Elena was resolved not to leave her fallen friends, and if they argued too long, something else could happen. "Fine," he sighed. Leaning down, he grabbed Stefan and pulled him to his feet. "Can you keep him steady?"

Elena moved under Stefan's arm to stand against him. When his body fell against her, she felt his blood seep into her dress. Other than scrunching her nose, she didn't say a word.

Grabbing Damon, Finn used his body to anchor the dark haired vampire as he started into the house, making sure that Elena followed him close behind. Making sure not to draw attention, he rushed them into the nearest room, which happened to be Klaus' office. Setting Damon down, he turned to Elena, taking Stefan from her grasp and setting him across from his brother.

"What was it?"

Moving closer to the injured siblings, Elena brushed off Stefan's jacket and unbuttoned his shirt, looking closely at the wound. "It's a bullet...but...I think it's wood."

"It splintered," Stefan added, grounding his teeth together in pain.

"What do you need me to do?" Finn knew that they would have to remove the offending objects, but how would they go about doing that?

Elena winced as she looked over her shoulder at Finn. "I need an instrument to remove it and the fragments."

With a blank look on his face, the Original nodded. "I can do that." What exactly did she need to do that? Where could he find it?

As if reading his thoughts, Elena calmly offered a suggestion. "Find Elijah. He'll know what to do."

It was then that Damon spoke up for the first time. "Yes, get Elijah. I want to thank him for this." He was pissed off and in pain. He hated being so vulnerable in front of anyone.

Rolling her eyes, she let out a sigh. "Elijah was not responsible for this," she shot back.

Rolling his ice blue eyes, Damon snorted. "Want to bet?"

Breaking in before Elena had a chance to say anything, Finn stepped closer to the human. "Even if my brother wanted to take care of you, it wouldn't be like that."

Not willing to budge on his thoughts, Damon shifted uncomfortably. "How do you know?"

"He would want his face to be the last thing you saw before falling," Finn replied with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "Aside from that, he wouldn't place Elena in harm's way." Turning towards the door, he moved to find his brother.

"And bring Klaus too, he'll need to know about this," Elena added. When Finn exited the room, she turned back to face the Salvatore brothers. "Why did you come tonight?" When Stefan met his brother's gaze and looked away uncomfortably, she cleared her throat.

"We came to save you," Stefan grudgingly admitted.

"Save me?" Because Elijah had taken her against her will…right.

"It sounds stupid when you say it like that that," her former lover argued.

"We want Elena back, our Elena," Damon threw in then. "You know, the one who uses her head to guide her decisions? We don't want this pod person."

Elena narrowed her eyes at him, but before she could reply, the door opened and Elijah was before her before she could blink.

At first glance, Elijah took in the condition of the brothers before dismissing them completely and focusing on Elena. Her dress was saturated in blood and she looked worse for the wear. "Are you okay?" He asked, grabbing her in his hands and doing a calculated sweep over her form. When he found no injuries; he pulled her against him and breathed in her scent, hoping to provide them both some comfort.

"We're fine, thanks," Damon snapped, annoyed with Elijah's casual dismissal of him.

"And it's a shame for that," Klaus said, announcing his presence.

Stefan grunted as he shifted in his seat. "Someone attacked us when we were out front."

The hybrid pursed his lips as he took in the appearance of the brothers. "I see that. It looks rather painful, mate."

"It is," Stefan shot back. "So which one of you do we have to thank for this?"

Turning his head towards his brother, Elijah peered at Klaus. "Nicklaus?"

"It wasn't me." When he received a prodding look from his eldest sibling then, he shook his head. "It wasn't! When was the last time I didn't claim one of my actions?"

Accepting his response, Elijah looked back towards Stefan, the more reasonable of the two. "He has a point." Klaus would gladly admit to his actions, if for nothing more than to piss off Damon.

"Besides do you really think I'd do something so risky with Elena around?" Klaus asked then, looking from Stefan before settling his gaze on Elijah. He wasn't sure what exactly it was that was going on between Elijah and Elena, but he didn't particularly relish in the thought of inciting his brother's anger. Elijah was a most worthy opponent.

"Oh, I forgot that you were her champion now," Damon sneered at the hybrid.

Hating that the four men were arguing about her, she huffed. "Can we argue later? We need to get these out."

* * *

Disclaimer #2: Elijah's speech in this chapter is not mine. I looked up episode transcripts and wrote what his character said in the episode.


	11. Chapter 11

SpringOfMay: Thank you.

Eva: Well, I'm glad I'm giving you the Elejah that you like! Yeah, I think I would have preferred the episode if Elena was Elijah's dance partner for the first dance...oh and if she hadn't totally lied to his face. Yeah, I suppose if you aren't a Delena or Stelena shipper than disappointment is something that is pretty much guaranteed. And as for Klaus not noticing Elena's mark, total oversight on my part. I will chalk it up to him ignoring anything to do with Elejah for the fact that he doesn't care for the pairing. And yes, there is more to come when it comes to the mark and the entire mating thing.

Lapislazuli101: Sorry for the confusion. I did go through and write that part a few times and settled on that one. As for why Stefan and Damon were there, they were trying to crash the party.

Guest: I'm glad you're enjoying this. I always get nervous when it comes to writing the Originals. I never feel as if I do them justice. As for who shot Damon and Stefan, all will be revealed...soon.

Troryrogan: Thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy this.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you.

Juti: No, Esther will not be the bad guy in my story.

Ellavam18: Thank you.

AuroraSpace: I'm glad that the Klaus/Elena interaction went off well. I wasn't sure if it would, but I couldn't resist adding it. As for Elejah 'coming out,' I thought it was the best way. I'm getting closer to revealing the mating thing, and when that comes out, you will get your answers as to why Lucy reacted the way she did. As for Klaus not noticing the mark, I completely overlooked it. However, I try to reason it as him not noticing it, because he chooses not to. He doesn't like the fact that Elijah and Elena are involved, and so he ignores it because he doesn't want to think about them. The attacker will be revealed...soon. And as for Ric, yeah, I wanted to do something different with him as well in this story.

LuctorEtEmergo: Oh, thank you for the compliment. Yes, I liked that pedophile line as well.

Kayla7621: I considered her causing a scene, but then I thought that the 180 she did would be more interesting.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to TVD

AN: Thank you all so much for the feedback! I am so glad that it came off well. I know you all still have answers, but there is more I want to cover before supplying them. Oh, and there will be smut in this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 11

"All I asked for was one night," Esther said when the evening came to a close. After showing out the last guest, she turned to Elijah with a severe frown on her face. "One night, without any distractions." When her son looked away, looking down, she peered closely at him. "What happened, Elijah?" While she knew that something must have occurred, she was still irked.

"Damon and Stefan Salvatore were attacked tonight, while they were on our front porch," he replied, meeting her probing gaze. Close to her side, he noticed the way that Rebekah blanched at the news.

"Are they okay?" The blonde asked, unable to help herself. Her concern was mostly for Stefan. Despite the way that their reunion went down, she still felt residual feelings for him; though she'd never admit it to another soul.

"A little sore," Elijah shrugged. "I think their egos are more bruised than anything," he excused. He had to admit; despite the immaturity of it, he enjoyed seeing Damon in such a position. Normally, he would save the cattiness for his sister; but he felt that Damon and Stefan deserved it after the way they treated Elena.

"On our porch?" Esther asked, growing increasingly worried. She'd learned through Rebekah and Klaus, who was who, and she didn't like the fact that vampires were attacked right outside their house. "Were they the intended targets?" Or had someone been aiming for her children?

Elijah shook his head. "It was dark and they weren't able to see anything," he sighed. "I do know that Finn was outside dealing with them and he wasn't injured." Either the Salvatore brothers were the main targets, or the attacker realized that they didn't stand much of a chance to survive if they continued attacking.

"And this council? What of them?" Esther demanded then, her anger growing by the moment.

"Every single one of them were in attendance tonight and accounted for during this," Kol answered, joining the small group. "Oh, and BTW, the Mayor and the Sheriff were full of questions as I showed them out." Finn and Elena must not have managed to remain unseen as they helped the wounded inside.

After mulling over his words; and ignoring his abbreviated word, Esther turned her attention back towards Elijah. "And what of them?"

"Mayor Lockwood took over the position after her husband's death. It wasn't until after he'd died that she discovered the Lockwood curse. They are werewolves. Her son is one of the first surviving hybrids that Klaus created."

"So she would have a reason to act against us," Esther surmised.

"After Klaus created a sire bond with her son, she may hold a grudge," Kol mentioned. "He used the poor boy to do his bidding..."

Rebekah shook her head after a moment of consideration. "I don't think so. She knows that she'd be stupid to go against us, and she spoke tonight of making peace."

Nodding at his sister's words, Elijah agreed. "Rebekah is right. With her son involved in all of this, her interests have changed." She would do what she could to get Tyler back to Mystic Falls. "As for Sheriff Forbes, she is in a similar position. Her daughter was turned a couple years ago and she is Elena's best friend. Because of her daughter, the Sheriff has also changed her mind on the way she views things. In the recent months, she has been working with Damon and Stefan."

"How strange these people are," Esther mused. "A council designed to keep the town free from vampires embraces them."

Rebekah stepped closer to her. "They are not all so welcoming, mother," she denied in a firm voice. "When Sheriff Forbes and Mayor Lockwood involve themselves, it is kept secret from the other council members."

"And we're sure that they were all accounted for?" Elijah asked once more. Kol was still relatively new in town. Perhaps he had missed someone?

"He didn't miss anyone, if that's what you're thinking," Rebekah defended. "Kol and I were together for a good portion of the night and I introduced him to everyone that I could, and if I didn't, I pointed them out."

"Where are these vampires now? Have you asked them anything?"

"They know nothing," Finn spoke up, joining his family. "However it would not surprise me if Damon Salvatore had a long list of enemies." Being with him could try his patience just as much as Kol could when they interacted. "Elijah, may I have a word?"

When the pair excused themselves, they walked towards a different part of the house. "What is it, Finn?" He desired nothing more than to return to Elena's side, and he couldn't do that until his conversation with Esther was completed.

"I didn't want to say anything in front of the others." Elijah was still unsure about their mother's intentions, and he knew that Rebekah had little care for Elijah's partner. "Elena was there. I think she was the reason why there was no shot made against me."

"Explain yourself," he ordered then, his interest piqued.

"They had an advantage when they shot Stefan and even when they shot Damon. It all happened so quickly, but for a moment there, she was in front of my body. By the time I moved in front of her to shield her, I think enough time passed and whoever was responsible realized that if they continued, their position would be made known to us."

* * *

"See this is what happens when you involve yourself with them."

"Are you really lecturing me right now?" Stopping her hands, she glared at the man she was attempting to help.

Klaus, who had been casually leaning against the wall pushed himself away from it. Letting out a laugh, he shook his head. "And yet you are the one that stands with a wooden bullet in your chest, not my brother."

"Damon…" Elena let out a weary sigh as she claimed a seat. "You really are the most narrow-minded self rit-"

"Damn it, Elena!" He cried out in frustration. "When will you open those pretty brown eyes and look around? All of this is their fault. Jenna, John…or have you forgotten about them?"

An intense bout of infuriation washed over her. Closing her eyes, she counted to ten before she opened them again; her anger only slightly cooled. "I have not forgotten about Jenna and John, and I will never forget about them," she hissed at him. "It is something that I will have to deal with every day for the rest of my life, so don't you dare sit there and judge me for trying to cope with life!" She wouldn't live her life afraid and she couldn't carry a chip on her shoulders.

"Maybe you should take a page out of Elena's book," Klaus observed.

"As if I'm going to take advice from you," Damon excused. "You should have been dead, and would have been if my brother hadn't changed his mind at the last minute."

Shaking his head, Stefan sighed. "Damon…" It was obvious that things had changed. Their plan for revenge and death against Klaus was dead in the water. After Bonnie's decision to make-up with Elena, they lost her power and eager vengeance. And then tonight… The situation had irrevocably changed. They were going to have to work together to eliminate the threat.

"Not you too!" Damon whined.

"Maybe he just realizes that he doesn't stand a chance…" Klaus taunted, wriggling his eyebrows at him.

Sensing that his brother was close to losing it, Stefan spoke up. "Damon, things are different now. Our plan changed when Elena turned to Elijah. And again, it ended after Bonnie followed her. After tonight, it sounds like we have a new enemy to focus on."

"As much fun as this has been, I'm exhausted," Elena said before she stood up. "I think I'm going to head out."

"No you won't," Klaus and Stefan replied then before turning to study one another.

"That is so much better in stereo," Elena muttered. "Look, I'm a mess, my dress is ruined and I want nothing more in this moment than to wash away tonight's events with a hot shower."

"Which we have here," Klaus argued.

"Elena, after what happened tonight, you don't need to be alone," her former lover added.

"You were the one shot tonight, not me," she denied stiffly.

"Maybe so, but we can't safely say it doesn't have something to do with what's been happening lately," Stefan advised wisely as Klaus spoke up as well.

"Elena, I can't afford to let anything happen to you."

"Klaus..." Caroline trailed off, having held her tongue for the last few minutes.

"You concern is touching…" Moving towards the door, Elena muttered to herself, knowing very well that the other occupants in the room could hear her.

"I'm afraid that my brother has a point, Elena," Elijah said, opening the door before she could exit. "However, I will make arrangements for you to stay here." Placing an arm around her shoulders, he led her out of the room towards the direction of his bedroom.

"I don't have to stay, 'Lijah. I can go home," she insisted, feeling awkward for being there in the first place. It didn't even matter that she was with Elijah, she was so far out of her comfort zone. She felt awkward just walking through the house in such a casual manner.

"I know you don't, but I desire you to," he replied, whispering into her hair, as he placed a kiss to her temple. And if she didn't, he would gladly take her home and stay with her there. When they reached his room, he directed her towards his large bathroom. He turned away from her long enough to turn the water on in the shower before he was back at her side.

Turning her around, he removed the bobby pins from her hair. Running his hands over her shoulders and arms, he settled on the zipper of her dress, and unzipped it. His eyes met hers through the mirror as he pushed it down her slim body.

When he turned her back around to face him, Elena waited patiently as he continued to undress her. His fingers ghosted over her body as he pushed down her dress and removed her panties. His touch turned more pronounced and her eyes closed as his caress turned more teasing. "You are very, very good at that."

"And you enjoy it very, very much," he whispered back. When she was naked, he picked her up, cupping her bear bottom in his hands.

She locked her legs around him, squealing as he stepped into the oversized shower. "What are you doing? You're still dressed!" She laughed at his actions.

"I couldn't help myself," he brushed off as he eased her against the shower wall. He captured her lips, thrusting his tongue in her mouth. "It has been far too long since I've had you," he whispered against her lips.

As he claimed her mouth again, Elena's hands traveled down to his sopping wet shirt. Her hands busied themselves, unbuttoning his shirt. When it was completely open, she wiggled her way out of his embrace and removed the garment from his body before discarding his undershirt as well. "I do believe it's my turn to do the undressing now," she told him coyly as her hands moved towards his expensive, Italian belt; his newly ruined belt. Leaning in, she kissed the crook of his neck before sucking on it. When her hands unfastened his belt, she moved them up to the contours of his chest.

His eyes closed and his body went slack as small hands ran across his exposed stomach and chest. When her hands settled over his nipples, pinching and pulling at the nubs he groaned.

Encouraged by his reaction, Elena alternated between licking and kissing a trail down to one of his nipples. Nibbling on the nub, she kissed further down his chest, over his stomach and stopped at his waist. Dropping to her knees in front of him, her hands moved back to his pants and she undid them, pulling the wet material down his legs, letting him step out of them before she removed his underwear as well. When he stood naked in front of her, her eyes settled on his impressive length.

He felt her hot breath on him and he immediately fisted his hands. Their relationship was still new, and as such, there were many things they had yet to do; oral sex, being one of them. He'd always enjoyed their encounters, marveling at her reactions to him. However, this was one experience that left him struggling. He wanted nothing more than for her to take him in her mouth and then fuck it. He couldn't wait to feel her mouth around his cock; he couldn't wait to for her to bring him to orgasm with it. Yet, he needed to make sure that he didn't do anything too severe.

Using her hand, she grabbed his penis. With experimental jerks, she played with him, attempting to memorize the feel of his length in her hand. Without warning him, she leaned forward and placed his length in her mouth; or as much as she could.

His body trembled when her mouth closed over him. She alternated between sucking him, using her tongue to travel the length of the underside of his penis and nibbling his tip. When her hand moved to the base of his length, jerking the portion she was unable to fit in her mouth, she found a pace that worked best for her.

As she continued on with her actions she peered up at him, interested in seeing his reaction. It wasn't the first time she'd given a blow job, but she was far from being considered an expert at the act. Never once had Elijah said or done anything to make her feel inferior in their encounters, but she always found herself second guessing herself. She just wanted to know that she was able to bring him as much pleasure as he showered on her.

"Christ, Elena," he groaned, committing the moment to his memory. He'd seen her in many different positions, and he was sure he'd see her in many more. However, seeing her sucking him off was without a doubt one of the more erotic sights in his long life.

Using her free hand, she settled it on his bare butt; pushing him into her mouth as she continued to blow him.

Using her actions for guidance, he began to thrust into her willing mouth. The action was traitorously slow which teased him endlessly. He wanted nothing more than to speed up his thrusts, but he couldn't; worried that it would be too much for her during their first time.

When he began thrusting his hips on his own, her hand traveled down to his testicles, caressing the skin.

Groaning, his hands fisted in her hair.

Her mouth was beginning to tire, but she refused to stop. Powering forward, she renewed her actions.

Minutes later when he felt the familiar tingling of his release, he attempted to warn Elena, giving her plenty of time to pull away from him. When she continued her actions, he groaned at the implication and his orgasm ripped through him.

Elena swallowed everything he had to offer. She waited until his orgasm completely subsided before she pulled her mouth off him completely. Standing up, she offered him a shy smile. "Was it okay?"

Pulling her slim body against his, he locked his arms around her back and captured her mouth before she could say anything else. "It was more than okay," he confessed as he kissed her again.

Elena allowed him to pull her into another deep kiss, but forced her body to calm down. She felt rather anxious with the idea of him returning the favor, though he hadn't mentioned it. Elijah was the type of lover to return pleasure instead of just take it. If only things were different, as she did feel rather gross after the events that had taken place earlier that night.

When Elena stepped back from him to grab his shampoo, Elijah plucked it from her hands. "Would you mind if I washed you?"

She easily handed him the bottle and turned around. When his hands moved towards her head, alternating between scrubbing her scalp and massaging various locations around her head, she knew she was putty in his hands. His skilled hands massaged away every negative feeling and thought she'd harbored that night. When he ended his ministrations, she pouted and washed out the shampoo before grabbing the conditioner.

When she moved to reach for his body soap, he grabbed it and lathered up his hands as they settled on her body, trailing from her shoulders, down her arms and then up again. He washed off her back and rear end before bringing his hands to her front. His hands settled on her breasts, lathering her skin and tweaking her nipples, but making sure not to spend too much attention on them. His hands moved down her stomach, past the apex of her thighs as he kneeled down and began to wash her legs. Telling her to hold onto the wall for balance, he lifted one leg, placing it over his shoulders as he soaped up every exposed inch of her leg that he could.

She followed his instructions, but she was very aware of his close proximity to her sex and her stomach was in knots.

Letting her leg down, he concentrated on the other one, repeating the action. By then, the soap was most nonexistent and he was doing nothing more than caressing her skin.

While he continued to clean off her body, Elena threw her head back under the shower spray to rinse out the conditioner. After his caresses, she was ready for him to take her to bed, and she wanted out of the shower as soon as possible.

Leaning into her body, Elijah placed a kiss over her sex. When her boy jerked in response, his eyes traveled up the length of her body to meet her eyes. She seemed to be frozen, but he wasn't. Not breaking their stare, he leaned in again and nuzzled the treasure between her thighs.

"Elijah…"

Teasing the exposed flesh he licked it once before bringing a hand up. Inserting one finger inside her, he listened with rapt attention as she moaned. "You're so wet for me, lover," he told her, his voice raspy with desire.

Unable to say anything in response, Elena could only nod. Her eyes closed as he continued to poke and tease her sex, coaxing her sexual side.

When her body nearly sagged down to the floor of the shower, Elijah easily caught her. Using his speed, he turned off the water and flashed over to his bed, depositing her on it. There'd been no time to grab a towel, so instead, he moved to unmake his bed, repositioning her under the feather-down comforter.

"Impatient, are we?" Elena hummed, smiling at his actions. She didn't think she'd ever get used to moving at vampire speed, but at least it no longer worried her.

Crawling in beside her, Elijah pulled the comforter back up. "Forgive me Elena, I cannot help myself," he apologized as he moved over her, settling in between her thighs as she made room for him. "It has been far too long, and I am most anxious to hear you crying out my name." Adjusting himself at her entrance, Elijah thrust into her waiting heat. Giving her a chance to adjust to the invasion, his hands moved to grab hers, locking them over her head as he stretched out over the length of her body.

Elena gasped, linking their fingers together and squeezing them.

Pulling out of her just enough, he slammed back in. Leaning down, he captured her lips as he repeated the movement; swallowing every one of her moans of pleasure.

Meeting him thrust for thrust, she tore her mouth away from his as she attempted to arch her back. The position that he had her in made it a little difficult, but it served in anchoring her sex against his pelvis. With every thrust, his pelvic bone hit her clit.

"That's it…I can feel your walls tightening around me." After orgasming in the shower, he hadn't thought he could be coaxed to completion so swiftly, but his body was screaming at him to cum with her. He sped up his pace, hoping to achieve culmination with her. "I love the way you respond to me, Elena. You're mine. Do you feel that, the way your pussy retracts around my cock? It's mine."

Crying into the room, Elena let go; letting her orgasm wash over her. Her hands tightened with his and she continued to thrust against him.

Feeling her walls spasm around him, the pressure of his thrusts increased. When he knew he was as deep as physically possible, his orgasm tore through him and he flooded her sex with his dead seed.

Coming down from his mind numbing orgasm, he fell onto Elena. Capturing her mouth with his, he traded kisses with her as he regulated his breathing. Pulling out of her, he moved to lie down; pulling her into his embrace.

"I needed that," Elena confessed in a small voice as she focused on running a hand over his chest.

"I did too," he replied in an equally soft voice, as he kissed her forehead.

"So, you know how my evening was, how was yours?" What had she missed from the gossip mongers after her exit from the ball? She was sure that when things went back to normal, she'd hear plenty from Caroline.

"It was…manageable." Lucy had been mysteriously absent the latter half of the night, which he didn't mind one bit. He only hoped that she wasn't off somewhere plotting. After their few dances, he returned to his hosting duties, dancing with both the Mayor and the Sheriff before moving on to the matriarchs of the founding families. Several eligible ladies approached him for a dance, but luckily he was always able to dissuade them.

"Manageable?" Elena repeated. "I thought you would have been used to the hoopla that tonight offered?"

"It is all a game," he replied with a weary sigh. "Balls are nothing more than a chance for women to marry off their daughters. Either that, or it is a chance for people to show their wealth." He thought back to the many years and the seemingly never-ending slew of balls that he and his siblings had attended.

"And how many women have attempted to marry their daughters off to you?" Elena asked, wearing a sly smirk on her face.

"A few," he answered flippantly. No offer had ever enticed him into matrimony. That wasn't to say he hadn't enjoyed them in other aspects… Though he wouldn't mention that to Elena, ever.

"Hmmm," her smirk died. She knew that she'd started the playful repertoire, but it stopped being playful. "Any women tonight?"

Tightening his arm around her shoulders, he placed a kiss on her forehead; smiling against it. "Not for their daughters," he eluded.

Sitting up from her position, she looked down at Elijah with a severe frown on her face. "For themselves?!"

Gaping at the outraged expression on her face, Elijah paused; considering the best course of action. While he enjoyed the teasing conversation, he didn't want to add to any concerns she may have had.

While Elena hadn't said anything expressly (Lucy aside), he was sure that various thoughts flittered through her mind. He could safely assume that because he had issues whenever he thought of her with the Salvatore brothers. Upon waking from his daggered state, he'd been less than thrilled by the relationship that developed between Elena and Damon. Prior to the events that culminated the days leading up the sacrifice, he'd easily discerned Damon's attraction to Elena. While she seemed oblivious to the change of status, he'd seen it.

Stefan, was another issue he privately mulled over…repeatedly. The day that he'd seduced her, he hadn't thought on her relationship with the younger Salvatore. It concerned him little, other than the knowledge that her boyfriend would protect her. However, after his own relationship with Elena developed, he was much more aware of things. For him, he was in a new situation all together. Yes, he'd had lovers through the years, but he'd never felt a stroke of emotion that could be compared to the things he felt for Elena.

As far as his past experience of sex, it had been nothing more. He was never left wanting for a partner, and he used that knowledge. However, he never lied to Elena. The emotions he experienced during their unions far surpassed anything else in his long existence.

Reaching up, Elijah placed his hands on Elena's arms, pulling her down on top of him. When she squealed in surprise, he laughed.

When the movement stopped, Elena found the top half of her body resting over Elijah's. Peering down at him, she locked her fingers together, resting her hands over the expanse of his impressive chest and settling her chin over her hands.

"Elena, you have nothing to be worried about," Elijah spoke then, more serious than he had been before. "I've had my fair share of women, but none of them could ever measure up to the way you make me feel."

"I'm sorry to sound like this," she apologized. "I just don't like the thought of all these women coming on to you especially after we were together a good portion of the night." While he hadn't touched her inappropriately in front of anyone, didn't the fact that he swept her up for the first dances mean anything to anyone else? And she knew that she didn't have to worry about Elijah straying, he'd reassured her more than once; either by word or action, that he was hers and hers alone. However, that didn't mean that it was acceptable for a woman to try an weasel her way into his life.

"Maybe you should claim me then?" He offered. There would be no physical mark like the one he'd left on her, but she could claim him over and over and over again with her body.

Leaning up, she arched one eyebrow as she peered down at him. He met her challenging expression with one of his own. "Maybe I will…"

Elijah smirked at her. "Well, come on then, inamorata, what are you waiting for? Claim me, make me yours..."

* * *

"Serves you right," the blonde sniffed with a curl of her lips as she looked at the pathetic forms of the Salvatore brothers.

Letting out a tired sigh, Stefan ran his hand through his hair. "Caroline…"

"Hey, all we tried to do, was attend a ball," Damon argued.

"Yes, a ball that you weren't even invited to," Kol threw in then. "There was a reason for that, by the way."

"So, what was your plan?" Caroline asked, looking from one brother to another. "Since Bonnie is no longer an active member in your plan, you obviously had to change it," she observed. "So what was it?"

"I just wanted to welcome Mama Original to the neighborhood," the elder Salvatore tried to play off.

"You stay away from my mother," Kol growled. He knew that Klaus could be an insufferable ass, but it was a family matter. Many had attempted to kill them through the years, many who offered more of a challenge than the angry brunette in front of him.

Stefan was seriously attempting to keep calm, but Damon's cool demeanor was doing nothing more than irritating everyone, including him. "Do you guys have any idea who it was?"

Klaus shook his head. "But considering the weapons they used, I could easily assume they were human."

Caroline brought her attention to Klaus then. "But who?" Other than the people of her closest acquaintance, who else knew the truth about them?

"How many other council members might know and not have addressed their concerns to the other members?" Stefan replied. "What about Dr. Fell?"

"With the blood she's using, I doubt she'd be stupid enough to say anything," Damon argued. If she said a word to anyone, whoever she was getting her supply from would be outed as well.

Stefan shook his head. "Maybe it wasn't her, but what if one of her patients discovered what she was using and found out about us that way?" He didn't understand what his brother and Alaric found so intriguing about Meredith Fell; but he didn't like the fact that his brother was defending her.

"Wait, what blood is she using?" Kol broke in then, looking from one brother to another.

"Vampire blood," Caroline replied with a sneer. "She uses it on certain patients of hers, ones that are far beyond healing the normal way."

"And where'd she get it?"

Damon shook his head. "I don't know. She wouldn't tell me."

"Even though you possess the ability to force the answer out of her?" Kol scoffed. "Why wouldn't you try to get an answer from her? You have feelings for her or something?"

Damon shot the Original a withering glare. "No."

"Then maybe it's time she received a visit from someone else?" He offered up for a challenge. He always liked a challenge, and a woman who dabbled in the supernatural when she had no reason to, was enough to intrigue him.

"I'll talk to her," Damon stood up, not thrilled with the idea of Kol confronting the doctor.

Klaus stepped forward. "No, it's decided. You had your chance."

"You are not my boss."

Standing up and approaching his brother, Stefan placed a hand on his shoulders. They weren't going to find common ground that night. "Come on, Damon. Let's go home."

"What about Elena?"

As if she was granted with the gift of perfect timing, a pair of groans echoed through the house. It wasn't difficult to surmise the cause for such sounds.

"Something tells me, she'll be just fine," Kol smirked.

With a beaming smile, Caroline looked towards the Salvatore brothers. "Sounds good, I'll head out with you."

"You weren't invited," Damon sneered.

Tired of his words and attitude, her smile dimmed. "Ask me if I care."

* * *

AN: So, what do you guys think?


	12. Chapter 12

Valkyrie Beauty: I don't have an ending in mind yet, so I'm going to say that it may take a while for him to fully accept Elena.

Eva: I'm relieved that you like what I've done with the characters. I just hope I don't disappoint you later on down the road. Yeah, I wasn't sure how that particular part would come off, so I'm really glad you liked what I did with my explorations.

babynora1983: Yes, I thought so too. I do enjoy writing her character.

Kayla7621: Glad you liked it. Hopefully you'll like this one too.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you!

MysticReader99: Awe, thank you.

AuroraSpace: I admit, I'm nervous when I write her, so I'm glad that it came off well. Seeing as how she was evil in the show, I think I'm more than likely taking liberties with Esther. Isn't Elijah absolutely the best host? If only...

Lapislazuli: Thank you!

Ellavm18: Thanks for commenting on the smut. I wasn't sure how well it would come off.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

AN: Elena and Elijah get it on this chapter, because I didn't feel that chapter 11 was enough. Just warning you guys...

* * *

Chapter 12

"_Why are you here, Tatia?" Elijah demanded, frowning as he spun around to stare at the beautiful young woman. From the moment he'd met her, his heart had soared. He couldn't remember ever desiring another woman as he had her. It mattered not to him that she had laid with another man, had already promised herself to another man. The unlucky man had been taken from her, never able to be a father to the child that he'd created. Having no interest in a wife before her, he'd been eager to step into the role that was created. _

_The brunette frowned as she stared at the man across from her. She couldn't deny his handsomeness. It was his eyes, from the moment that she'd locked gazes with him, she'd had been entranced. Her marriage was forged in a deal, not love. She did not love her husband, she had not known what love was; but Elijah inspired the desire. "Elijah…"_

"_What?" He demanded. "My brother turned you from his bed so quickly?" He knew the moment the words passed from his lips that they shouldn't have been uttered. Not only was it something people did not speak of, it was highly improper; considering the fact that her role in his life was that of a friend. He easily discerned the heartbreak in her eyes. He almost felt guilty for being the cause of it…almost. And then the heart wrenching pain she'd been responsible for was back at the forefront of his thoughts. _

_She couldn't hide her gasp from him. It wasn't the first time that someone had insulted her, but it was the first time that such words came from Elijah's mouth. She had known instantly upon meeting him that he held no mean bone in his body. "I never meant to turn to him. You must believe me," she insisted. Even to her own ears, it was pathetic. _

"_But you did," he swiftly reminded her. "You pretended to care for me, while accepting attentions from my brother," he accused hotly._

"_There was no pretend," she denied. "For a while I did feel for you, no one made me feel such."_

"_But it was not enough?" _

"_You held no passion for me," she excused weakly. "You look at me as though you do a cherished possession." It was the same in which her husband looked upon her, a title of a relationship that did not work out well. "You appeared to have feelings, but there was no action." How was she supposed to have known the strength of his feelings for her?_

"_I did not act because I held you in respect." He shook his head. "You are more to me than someone to lie with. I wanted the role of husband, not lover." He'd made his interest known the moment he met her. How could she have ignored that? _

"_You still could…"_

"_After you have known the touch of my brother? I think not!" It didn't matter that Klaus was five years younger than him, there had always been an unspoken competition between them. However, it had all been in jest, until Tatia had come along. _

"_He does not hold affection for me, not the way his brother does."_

_Elijah doubted her words. While Nicklaus may have turned his interest towards her as a way to annoy him, the eldest sibling knew that genuine caring had grown from that. Klaus loved her, though maybe not in the most obvious way. "No, he does not," the man agreed. Klaus was not ready to love another, not the way he should when it came to a life partner. Klaus was still entranced by games, games of all sorts. He enjoyed the thrill of the hunt and the journey to achieve a desired possession. However, once it was captured, his interest waned. "What is it you expect from this moment?"_

"_I expect you to tell me the truth!" She demanded in a spout of anger. She deserved that much!_

"_You desire the truth? Very well," he agreed. "I have loved you in a way that I have loved no other. Upon meeting you, I wanted you for a wife. I wanted to raise your daughter as my own, as you bore me our own children. Yet as I stand here and look at you, I realize I wasted those desires on the wrong woman." Even if she had not known the touch of his brother, he could not be with a woman so fickle in her desires. _

"_Yet you still desire me," she accused softly. "I can see it in your eyes."_

_He did not deny her, he could not. She was of course right in her assessment. He still desired her. It took all he possessed not to ignore his pride and sweep her into his embrace. "I will not always though," he argued. Stepping away from her form, Elijah shook his head. "I am regretful that the situation did not work out for us." Turning away from the young woman, he stalked off into the opposite direction, eager for solitude._

Opening her eyes, Elena attempted to blink away the tears that had immediately welled in her eyes. The scene that she'd dreamt about was so heartbreaking; not only because she saw firsthand the anguish Elijah felt because of Tatia, but something else twisted inside her. Looking over at her companion, she studied his form. He'd been near tears as he spoke to the woman she was created after, and her heart broke for him.

She'd known that he'd had feelings for both Tatia and Katherine, he hadn't denied it, but it was disconcerting to watch him interact with a version of herself. She'd met Katherine, and as odd as that had been; it was even more so upon seeing Elijah with the woman who managed to capture his interest so intensely that it still resonated after a thousand years. Was there a lingering sense of jealousy? Yes, but not in the way that some might assume. She believed her lover when he told her that no one else measured up; including the originator of the doppelganger curse and the first doppelganger.

But as she stared at him, her emotions warred within her. Her sadness consumed her, but only until a bitter righteousness superseded that emotion. She wasn't jealous of the feelings that he'd once had for Tatia, she was jealous that the woman had managed to leave such a lasting impression...which made no sense, because she was made to look like her.

Flipping onto her back, she stared at the ceiling and attempted to make sense of the emotions she'd experienced. The last time she'd had a dream about him, she'd been an active participant. She'd been Mina. She experienced the emotions as Mina had. She was the one that interacted with Elijah; spoke to him as if it was her own heart breaking. However this one was completely different.

Instead of interacting with him or Tatia, she remained a silent on-looker. Neither acknowledged her presence, but she still experienced a plethora of emotions. She felt grief for Elijah as he caught onto the truth that bad been hidden right under his nose. And then it was swiftly gobbled up by a sense of pleasure, upon seeing the pain written so clearly across his face. And then guilt would eat at her for feeling such an emotion where he was concerned. The wide arrangement of emotions continued to nibble at her subconscious.

Turning her head in his direction, she was surprised to find him staring at her. She didn't know why it surprised her, because each time she woke up in the middle of the night, he'd wake right along with her. "Hey…"

"You had another dream." There was no question in his statement and there was no reason to. Despite the darkness of the room, he was able to read the emotions in her eyes.

Letting out a sigh, she nodded her head before she turned her gaze away from him. "I dreamt of you again..." She opted on keeping Tatia's name out of it for the time being. It was late...or maybe it was early? Either way, she was afraid that if she mentioned the name, they wouldn't sleep.

Given the way that she refused to look at him and the sound of her voice as she spoke, he knew that whatever she dreamed of must have bothered her. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Looking back at her companion, she pasted a smile on her face. "No. Right now, I'd like to try and get some more rest." When he pulled her into his embrace, she closed her eyes and snuggled against him.

Tightening his arm around her, he placed a kiss on the top of her head. He had no doubt that their conversation would be interesting. "Goodnight, inamorata."

"Hmmm, I like when you call me that." She'd never been one for pet names, finding them rather ridiculous, but she liked having something that was just theirs.

"Me too," he agreed softly.

* * *

"And where did you run off to last night?" Rebekah asked Lucy as the two women met up in the kitchen. It was still relatively early, and she didn't detect any activity from her brothers down stairs. She'd been eager to speak to her companion about her peculiar behavior since the previous night. Lucy had disappeared half way through the ball and didn't emerge from her room for a single thing afterwards.

"I had business to attend to," Lucy replied uneasily. She'd made a phone call after Elena's revelation. It was something she preferred to speak to Elijah about first. She couldn't judge for certain, but the fact that Elijah kept the truth from his siblings spoke plenty. How would he react knowing that she'd informed someone else about his circumstance? He was not a figure to mess around with. Having seen what happened to a person on the receiving end of anger, she didn't fancy finding herself eager to be there.

"Sure," the blonde Original snorted. "Don't think I didn't see your little conversation with Elena last night." As soon as Lucy had made her way over to Elena, she'd been bursting with excitement; hoping that she would hand Elena her ass. "What did the little tart have to say that wound your panties up so tight?"

Rebekah's obvious dislike of Elena was very apparent in that moment and she couldn't help but wonder how things would change when she learned of the significant role she had in Elijah's life. "You don't know…"

Rebekah frowned. "Know what?"

"What she is."

"Aside from being a thorn in my side?" Rebekah was ready to be rid of Elena. She was over the doppelganger, she was over Mystic Falls. It held nothing for her. Yes, she had her brothers, but she'd been with Klaus and Elijah for so long, and she'd had enough of Kol to satisfy any form of remembrance. As for Finn, while she was happy that he was back among them, they'd never been overly close. Aside from her family, she had…school. Stefan turned out to be such a bore after returning. And after realizing he had no intention of picking up where they left off in the 1920's, she wasn't going to beg. Maybe it was time to move on? She could branch out on her own?

Lucy shook her head. "I don't know why he didn't tell you," she paused then. Actually, given Rebekah's feelings for Elena, she understood exactly why Elijah didn't say anything. "But you need to sit down and have a talk with your brother," she suggested.

Narrowing her eyes at the woman in front of her, Rebekah pursed her lips. What did Lucy know that she didn't? And more importantly, how had Lucy found out before her? She knew that she'd invited Lucy to Mystic Falls in hopes of her seducing Elijah away from Elena, but she didn't like knowing that Lucy had been let in on something she was unaware of. How had that happened?

Lucy forced herself not to fidget under the woman's intense scrutiny.

Glaring at the red head, Rebekah pursed her lips. "I'm really not into drama, why don't you just tell me what it is I need to know?"

"It's really not my place to tell you," Lucy replied softly. When her companion huffed; she spoke what she could, not wanting to upset her further. "Things are more than what they seem, and you would be better off speaking with Elijah before you do or say something you may regret." If Rebekah continued to push at Elena, she wouldn't be very happy with the outcome. She'd seen how mates were when it came to one another, and she knew that Rebekah didn't stand a chance against it.

Not liking the warning she was given, Rebekah rebelled. "Three days ago, you were panting after my brother like a bitch in heat and now you've suddenly given up on him? I don't buy it."

"It doesn't matter if you buy it or not," Lucy denied with a shrug of her shoulders. "There's not a force in our world that could drag Elena from his arms." It was a bitter pill to swallow, but she would. More than anything, she felt the loss of a chance more than anything. Of course there was a tiny bit of indignation that a human managed to succeed where she'd failed; but that too, she would get over. "You'd be better off making amends with her or finding common ground."

"What's that supposed to mean? He wouldn't turn his back on me." No, of anyone, it was Elijah who always preached about the importance of family. It had taken him near a couple hundred years before he resolved himself to act against Klaus after he'd turned his back on him. "He never has, and he certainly won't for some human that will be dead in sixty years. She'll be nothing more than a distant memory and we will remain at the top of the food chain."

"I think you'd be surprised," Lucy muttered before turning away from Rebekah, knowing that there was no way that she would listen to what she had to say. Elena would be a part of her life so long as Elijah existed.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that you'll be surprised by the intensity that he feels for her. She is not just some casual lover for him. If you continue to push at her; them, Elijah will make a decision and you may not like it." Offering Rebekah a resolved shake of her head, sighed. "I think my welcome is wearing thin. I'm going to find a room at the Inn."

"That's a wise decision because it is." Casting her the most serious glare she could muster, Rebekah twirled around and left the kitchen.

* * *

"You didn't sleep did you?" Elijah asked into the room. Once he began waking, he'd easily been able to discern that he was alone in bed.

"How do you do that? You come off appearing as if you're completely at ease, but you're very aware of your surroundings, aren't you?" Pulling her gaze away from the window, she smiled at him.

Turning his head towards her direction, he opened his eyes and glanced at the time before giving her his complete attention. He shrugged off her question. "Years of practice, I suppose." Holding a hand out, he beckoned her to join him.

Walking across the room, she accepted his hand.

"I like the way you look in my clothes," he whispered, pulling her down on top of him.

Giggling at his actions, she allowed him to move her where he pleased.

Pulling her down closer, he captured her mouth. "Yes, I very much like the way you look in my clothes," told her in a husky tone as he pulled her down for another kiss.

"Mmmm, yes, I can feel how much you like it," she purred against his lips as she ground her sex against his length. "Tell me, do you normally sleep naked?"

Moving the blanket that separated their bodies, his hands settled back on her waist. "Only when you're with me. It makes it easier to take you when the moment arises. Now it's my turn, do you normally sleep without panties, or is this for my benefit?"

Raising up high enough to grab his cock, she aimed it at her passage and thrust down on it. "Right now, I think it benefits us both." Giving herself a moment to get used to the intrusion, she looked down at him.

Closing his eyes, his hands flexed around her waist as he relished in the feel of her heat enveloping him. "Jesus! You're so tight." It was as if she'd been made for him, they fit together so perfectly. He'd never get enough of her. Opening his eyes, he peered at her, watching the way her eyes dilated with arousal.

Splaying her hands across his chest, she threw her head back. "You feel so good inside me." Lifting herself up before dropping back down, she began bouncing and grinding against him.

Raising his hands, he began to unbutton the shirt, _his_ shirt, that she wore; revealing her perky breasts. His eyes never wavered from her face, watching the pleasure splay across her face. When his hands settled on her breasts, she moaned loudly.

"Yes. Pinch my nipples. Play with them."

Following her instructions, he pinched and prodded at her nubs. She sped up her thrusts, alternating between gyrating against him and bouncing on him. Her hot sheath was milking him and his cock was throbbing, begging for release. Moving his hands back to her waist, he pulled her down even harder against him as he began thrusting up into her.

"Oooooh! That's it." She responded to his increased pace and tried to take him as deep as she could. "Oh god! Fuck me!"

"You like the way my cock feels in you, lover?" He grunted, thrusting up even harder.

"Yyeeaahh…you're so deep. Oh god!" His tip was brushing against her womb and he was touching her far deeper than anyone else ever had. Complete and total lust consumed her and she brought her eyes back to his face. Locking gazes, she peered into his eyes; not bothering to hold anything back. "I can't wait to feel you cum in me."

Her dirty talk enticed him into completion. Pounding into her, he pulled her against his cock. When her walls began to spasm around him, he let go of the last of his restraint. Three thrusts later, he grunted out a loud groan as he spurted deep inside her.

Milking his cock, her hands clawed into his shoulders as she rode wave after wave of ecstasy. Collapsing against him, she kissed the crook of his neck as she waited to catch her breath. "I love our morning sex."

Wrapping one arm around her, securing her against him; his other hand trailed up and down her back. "I concur."

Lifting her head, she captured his mouth for a kiss. When his hand moved to the base of her head and he deepened it, she happily returned the action.

"Ugh, I should probably get home." Her gown was still ruined and since she didn't have a change of clothes, it would be easier to sneak home without bringing any attention to herself while it was still relatively early. "The earlier the better, I'll have less of a chance being seen by the neighbors."

He nodded, agreeing with the idea. "What about your dream?"

Standing up, she moved to the corner of the room and grabbed her gown from the chair it was lying over. "We can talk about it later. Something tells me that we're going to have a busy day."

* * *

"You're leaving then?" Their disagreement earlier was just that, wasn't it? Why was Lucy leaving?

Packing away the last of her things, Lucy nodded, not sparing her companion a glance. "Yes, I managed to find a room in town." Based on the recent news she'd heard at the ball, the last thing that Mikaelsons needed was to play 'host' to a houseguest that had taken all but one by surprise. She knew that when the news was revealed to the rest of Elijah's family, the shit could possibly hit the fan.

"So, instead of helping me like we originally planned, you decided to just give up…" Trailing off, Rebekah shook her head. Leaning against the door frame of the guest bedroom, she watched Lucy pack.

"I guess I have," Lucy agreed. Zipping up her suitcase, she turned around and met Rebekah's gaze. "I know it wasn't what you wanted-"

"Of course it wasn't, but I should have expected it after all this time. It seems as if I never get my way." Pursing her lips; she considered various instances where things worked out to someone else's favor instead of her own. "And this is certainly an about face. I know that when you came here, you were eager to pick up with my brother where you left off," she accused, unable to trust that Lucy's actions were completely selfless. "What happened to that?"

Narrowing her eyes, at the woman before her, she nearly hissed. "What's that supposed to mean? If I remember correctly, you were the one who called me, inviting me to Mystic Falls. You purposely withheld information from me, all so you could manipulate things into working out the way you wanted them to." That had all been Rebekah. She'd known the moment the invitation was issued that there was another reason behind it, but she hadn't cared. Getting another chance to be with Elijah had been enticing enough. Shaking her head, the red head let out a sad smile. "You're right," she admitted. "I wouldn't have minded getting reacquainted with Elijah. You gave me an opportunity, and I took it. But you also failed to realize if there's one thing I learned since parting with him; it's that I can live without him." Her happiness was never dependent upon him.

"I suppose I did overlook that," Rebekah admitted with a sad sigh. "It's a mistake that I won't make again."

Standing up, Lucy grabbed her suitcase. Walking towards the door, she stepped in front of the Original. "You say that things never work out in your favor, well, maybe you're wanting for the wrong things?" Searching Rebekah's face, she waited for the woman to respond, but she didn't. "After walking the earth for a thousand years, you're still the same insecure, little girl I met a hundred years ago."

"Excuse me?" How dare she?! Where did Lucy come off judging her?

"Do you have any idea how much power you hold? Just hearing Elijah and Klaus' names can strike fear in vampire's hearts everywhere. Yet instead of embracing your advantage over others, you manipulate people and situations."

Arching her eyebrow, Rebekah cocked her head to the side. "And you think I care about what you have to say?"

Narrowing her eyes, Lucy nodded. "More than you'd like to." She knew that, because she was once like that. "I've been where you are. I lorded myself over others because I could; because I was prettier and faster…without any need or reason to." At the time of her change, Rebekah would have been considered an adult, old enough to marry and bear children. Yet because she had been catered to during her life, she never had a chance to fully mature.

Rolling her eyes, Rebekah crossed her arms as she looked away from the vampire in front of her. She would never admit it to a soul, but Lucy's words were biting at her.

"I could manipulate a man with a near flick of my wrist to do my bidding. People flocked to me and I used that to my advantage," Lucy continued on. "It was nice to be admired wherever I went. I was never wanting for companionship," and she did not speak only of copulation. "And then one day, I woke up." It had been a harsh lesson for her. "The people that I surrounded myself with were just as superficial as me. They didn't care for me, they wanted what they thought I could give them. I didn't have a family to turn to like you do."

"And now you're imparting some sort of wisdom before your exit…" Huffing, Rebekah wrinkled her nose. "Are you finished yet? I have better things to do with my time. In case you forgot, darling, I am quite a bit older than you. I don't need to be schooled."

Realizing that she was wasting her breath, Lucy shook her head. "Okay, fine," she acceded. "Just one more thing…don't hide who you really are from your family." After spending a decade with Elijah, she had seen his struggles when it came to his position in the hierarchy of their world. Based on various conversations with him throughout their time together, she also knew his troubles when it came to coping with his siblings. "You need to stop manipulating your brothers, specifically Elijah. If you continue on this path, you may not like where the road will lead you."

"Oh, so you're an expert judge on my family after spending a few days with us?" Rebekah demanded, annoyed with Lucy's pretention.

Lucy let out a sigh, understanding that she'd insulted Rebekah with her advice. She knew that her words would go over the blonde's head and the warning would be lost. But maybe one day in the near future they would come to find meaning for her? "Call it a piece of friendly advice."

"You and I aren't friends," Rebekah shot back. They never had been.

* * *

Closing the front door behind her, Elena stopped when she came face to face with Alaric. He was standing at the bottom of the stairs with a box in his hands. "You're packing…" she narrated, her voice never taking on a tone one way or the other. Nodding her head at him once, she continued on past him. "That's great…" Dropping her purse on the couch, she turned around to stare at the man she was once ready to call an uncle. As if she hadn't had enough to deal with that night.

"What the hell happened to you?" The amount of blood on her dress was enough to make him worry. Had she been injured at the ball? And if she was, then who had healed her? He could only assume that she'd ingested vampire blood. "Are you okay?"

Looking down at her appearance, she easily understood his concern. "I'm fine. Something happened tonight, but this isn't my blood. I'll explain, but right now, I'd rather talk about this," she held her hand out towards him.

She was obviously less than thrilled with his decision. Alaric let out a sigh before setting the box down and following her further into the house. "What do you expect from me, Elena? We haven't exactly been on speaking terms," he observed in a quiet tone. She was clearly upset by walking in on him during the process of moving his things back to his apartment. He'd hoped that he would have been completely moved out before she returned home; hoping to avoid…this. Did it make him a coward? Maybe, but he honestly thought it was the best course of action given their current situation.

Nodding her head, she showed him that she agreed with that particular observation. "You haven't been here. You have barely looked at me in the past few days. How was I supposed to act around you?" Pursing her lips, she thought on the meeting that Caroline told them about. "You sat with Damon and Stefan and plotted against my boyfriend's family. How was I supposed to react to that?"

She felt more betrayed by that than anything. Odd as it was, she expected more out of Alaric, he was the adult. Even compared to the Salvatore brothers; whom she viewed as not fully matured men, Alaric was the one she looked to for sound advice. While she didn't necessarily view him as a father figure, he was the closest thing that she had to one.

"I didn't…I never wanted to hurt you, Elena. I just…" Frustrated by his inability to speak a full sentence, he ran a hand through his hair and claimed a seat on the arm of the couch. "There was no plotting," he reassured her. They hadn't gotten that far. "They vented and argued, but there was no plotting."

Narrowing her eyes on him, she studied his face. Alaric wasn't usually one to placate someone, but she was upset… He wasn't just telling her that in an attempt to make her feel better, to make the transition easier?

Meeting her intense stare, he kept his face neutral. When Elena looked away from him, he spoke again. "I'm not the best person to be looking after you." He shook his head. "You don't even need someone looking out for you." She had Elijah for that. What did she need him for?

"Of course I do!" She cried out then. "Rick, you're my family," she added then in a soft tone. Her friends were her family. As dysfunctional as they were and despite the constant arguments among them, they were her family! They had all bonded through the situations they'd faced. They chose to be together…or was it that life made that decision for them? Either way, they continued to migrate back to one another…

"No I'm not, not really." It was a subject he'd thought on many times before. "Maybe when Jenna…but even then our relationship was slowly coming to a halt." If Jenna had never died, he couldn't even say that they would still be together. He'd kept too many secrets from her. They'd both been emotional wrecks when they met, both still mourning over the loss of their loved ones. Yes, he'd wanted to move on, and upon meeting her; he felt that for the first time, he could move on from Isobel. Jenna gave him hope and the desire to start over.

Elena shook her head then. "Jenna loved you. Yes, you lied to her, but we all did. We thought we were doing the right thing." They'd all made the decision to lie to her in effort to protect her from the supernatural. "She would have gotten over it, and you two would have…" When he looked away from her, she found herself stepping closer to him. "No, you aren't family by blood or marriage, but you are my family in every way that counts." She hadn't wanted to lose him, and it was part of the reason why she asked him to stay in Mystic Falls. "You know me better than my…than John Gilbert ever did. You have helped me and protected me countless times and I never doubted you, until recently." She felt guilty for even feeling such a thing where Alaric was concerned, and even worse for admitting it.

"I've done nothing but let you down." Maybe he had helped her out of situations, but he wasn't nearly the man that he wanted to be. "I couldn't save Jenna, I couldn't save Jeremy." He'd let Elena down. He wasn't strong enough, and because of that, Elena was alone.

She wasn't sure where this side of Rick was coming from. He'd never been one to throw himself a pity party, and she'd never known him to feel such a thing. Granted, they didn't exactly speak about the past. Both had preferred to leave it alone with the intent to move on from it. "Jeremy is alive and well…because of you." If he was looking to place the blame on anyone, it should have fallen on her…or Klaus, at the very least.

"But where is he, Elena?" Alaric shot back, annoyed that she was arguing against him. "He should be here with you, and instead, you had him compelled to move to Colorado. It's my fault that you felt he would be safer in another state." He should have expected retaliation from Klaus, he should have been better prepared! Perhaps if he had been, nothing like that would have happened.

"Actually, it's because of me, that I sent him away. I couldn't trust Klaus not to use him against me again," she clarified in a matter-of-fact tone.

Ignoring her words, he continued on. "I never thought I'd be a father. I suppose that once Isobel died…and then the time passed, I figured it was too late for me." Moving in with Elena and Jeremy had been the closest experience he'd had; would ever have. "I did the best that I could, but we both know that it wasn't enough."

"Rick, shit happens!" She broke in then, having had enough of his 'woe-is-me' attitude. "You can't control everything," she'd learned that lesson the hard way. "Sometimes all you can do is roll with it and look for a way to keep your head above water. Yes, I have Elijah to protect me, and I know he would…to the death. But it doesn't take away from the relationship I have with you. I'm sorry that you feel this way and didn't ever tell me."

"You had your own things to deal with…coming back from the dead and all. This didn't seem so important compared to everything else."

"There's even more to deal with now," Elena muttered.

A frown pulled at his mouth, and he straightened up. Elena was already the target of an as of yet unknown person, what else was going on? "What?"

"Before I answer, I need your word. I need to know that you'll be there to support me." She let out a defeated sigh. "I know that things have been difficult lately, and that we're both at fault for that; but we can't be estranged any longer." She peered at him, giving him her most imploring look. "I need you, Rick. I want you in my life, but I can't do things half-way anymore. I know that you've kept your apartment all this time." It had become a training room of sorts for the group. "But maybe you could not renew the lease this time and move in here full time?"

"But what about my things?" There wouldn't be enough room for all of his belongings at the Gilbert residence.

"We'll make room." She and Jeremy had put off going through their parents things after their deaths. Even when Jenna moved in, they never dared go through the papers and boxed memories. Perhaps it was time to?

* * *

AN: I'd meant to write an Alaric and Elena scene earlier on in the story, but I couldn't fit it in before now. But hopefully all the awkwardness between them will dissipate now. So, what did you guys think?


	13. Chapter 13

Troryrogan: Thank you for taking time out to review. I had hoped that the Elejah part would go off nicely, but I am relieved to hear you liked the Elena/Alaric interaction as well.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you!

Fawkes Devaue: The reveal will take place in this chapter as well as the next one. I'm sorry to hear that you're losing interest in this. I am not very good at creating action scenes, so I depend a lot on character development and such. I spent more time attempting to do that so when I finally got things out there, the situations I created with the characters would be taken into account. As for my chapters. I tend to write ahead. For example, this chapter was written weeks ago. If I were to have gone back and changed it, then I would end up changing the following chapters as well, and I'm sure I would overlook things or forget things entirely.

Kayla7621: I would love it to have Rebekah and Elena become friends. Funny enough, I think it was the crazy partnership between the two that I enjoyed most in season 4. As for Rebekah getting a reality check, I am hoping to develop more layers for her.

Valkyrie Beauty: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

Eva: *Takes bow accordingly* Okay, I'm kidding, however you are wonderful for my ego. When I wrote this chapter back however long ago I did, I only intended to use the Elena/Alaric conversation as a chapter filler, but once I began writing it; I too realized that it was needed. And I know that I said this before, but Alaric won't go insane or be killed because he's been enhanced to kill the Originals. I'm happy that I was able to redeem Lucy enough for a majority of my reviewers to mention liking her. Yes, I suppose that Elijah is more 'tuned into' Elena because of the mating. However, he's also like a thousand years older than her and has spent time perfecting his ability to sleep with one eye open.

Aurora Space: Yes, I suppose her betrayal could have been worse. Honestly, I never cared for her character either. As much as I dislike Katherine, I can totally envision Tatia being way more manipulative. I didn't want my own personal feelings to overtake things. I always wondered how that entire situation went down between Elijah and Tatia and Klaus, and I'm sure I only brushed the tip of the iceberg. As for Rebekah and Lucy, that's as friendly as it's going to get. Alas, Lucy won't be around much longer. I am relieved that I was able to redeem Lucy's character enough for you guys. I never intended for her to be completely useless. And yes, I really felt that something needed to be addressed with Elena and Alaric, though when I was writing it, I didn't plan for it be so intense.

Ellavm18: Thank you for your review.

Elliesmeow: I don't think it will take much to fix the Alaric/Elena relationship. There are just new factors that they have to consider as well. Yay, I redeemed her for you!

AN: First of all, thank you guys for taking time out to read the chapter, and for those that left reviews. There were a couple things that I wanted to address. As a reviewer point out before, I didn't move the story along fast enough. I didn't intend to bore anyone, but I really was more concerned with character development and changes that I didn't consider things as being boring. I wanted to get things going and then the fallout from everything would be that much more intense, you know? Oh well, there's always next time. Also, as for Lucy, I'm glad you guys hung in there. When I came up with the mating idea, I knew that I wanted someone to provide the answers. My choices went from Esther to Abby or to a (then) unnamed person from Elijah's past. Going through different scenarios, I thought Lucy was the best bet. When I created her, I had a specific reason in mind, so thank you guys for trusting me and not running away when I introduced her.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

* * *

Chapter 13

"Thank you for taking me to the hotel, Elijah," Lucy said, breaking the silence in the car. Normally, she wouldn't have minded the silence, but she knew it was going to be one of their last conversations for a long while and there were things that needed to be said.

Pulling his gaze away from the road, he cast her a sideways glance and nodded. "You're welcome." Turning his attention back on the road, he was content to let the drive pass in silence. Honestly, he wanted nothing more to do with her. Hopefully there would be less of a chance to run into her since she was out of his house. She'd seemed to go a complete one-eighty where he was concerned, but he still felt more apprehensive than anything.

"I'm glad that we have this moment," Lucy said, breaking the silence that settled between them. "I wanted to…I know about your relationship with Elena. I know that the two of you are mated." There was no easy way to say it, knowing that she would garner his attention. She just hoped that if she kept her body non-threatening that he would keep that in mind.

In response to her confession, Elijah turned to look at her. Completely shocked by the revelation, he stared at her surprised by her words. When he heard the honks of surrounding cars he pulled his attention back to the road, he swerved the car back into the correct lane and away from on-coming traffic.

"How the hell did you find out?" Not even the entirety of his siblings knew. More importantly, what had she done with the news? Narrowing his eyes at her, he studied her form. "What did you do?" He'd kill her where she sat. Never mind the fact that he was driving, he could remove her heart from her chest with one hand; he'd had plenty of practice through the years.

Deciding then not to tell him about her phone call, she shook her head. "Elena told me last night…at the ball, and…" taking a deep breath, she met his gaze evenly. "I think I understand." It took all she had in her not to fidget under his intense scrutiny.

Elena had told her?! Why hadn't she let him in on that little bit of news? Granted, other situations took precedence, but still… Peering at her through his peripheral vision, he attempted to read her. When she first arrived in town, she'd thrown her arms around him and embraced him as if their liaison had ended on good terms. While he much preferred her interest in him to be more temperate, he still doubted her, doubted her motives. "And yet when you arrived, you held little consequence of my relationship with a human…" He reminded her of her actions, not willing to forget her actions upon their first day upon seeing one another again. "So, I'm supposed to forget that?"

Lucy had the grace to look away from him, ashamed by her actions. "Lovers are one thing. More often than not, their relationships are comprised of nothing more than physical release." She should know, she'd seen it more often than not. "I was persuaded to believe that was all that existed between you." She was no longer proud of the many suitors she'd seduced away from their partners, but she couldn't alter the past. "I've seen firsthand the noticeable differences between mates and lesser relationships. When I spoke to Elena at the ball, I was dumbfounded to see that she reacted so strongly." Turning to look at him, she offered him a sad smile. "Getting over you was one of the most difficult things I ever had to do." Seeing him again, she had to admit that old feelings had rushed through her.

He gaped at her. "But you were the one to end things," he argued. He'd been content with their arrangement at the time and when she ended things, he'd honestly missed her.

"I gave you an ultimatum and when you didn't take the bait, I couldn't very well go back on my word…" She'd been prideful back then; she still was, to a certain degree. "I understand now, that we were never in the same place." The first day that she'd come to the conclusion, she'd cried. "But aside from all of that, you were a major part of my life for ten years, and I will always love you in some capacity," she shared in a soft tone. "When your sister told me that you were fucking a human and that you'd grown feelings for her, I was…insulted and just a little bit jealous. I thought that you had gone crazy. The last thing that you needed, was to get involved with a human. I suppose I wrote off my actions as protecting you, and maybe I was trying to in my own way." She hoped that he accepted her reasoning, even if he didn't quite agree with her. Spying Elijah's arms resting on the consul, she placed her hand over his and squeezed it before pulling away. "I truly am sorry for my actions when I first arrived. You weren't mine to do that with…I…you never were."

While a part of him was still cynical about her explanation and apology, he wanted to believe her. Yes, Lucy could be a spoiled brat, but she at least made an attempt. Years ago, she never would have done that much. "I forgive you," he said after a moment of hesitation. It didn't mean that he was ready to confess his secrets to her, but he was willing to give her the benefit of a doubt.

The pair slipped into silence once again, listening to the jazz music that flittered through the car stereo. When he pulled up to the hotel, he parked in front of a fire hydrant.

Lucy had already taken off her seat belt, her body turned towards his. "I'll be in town for a couple more days. I hope you know, that I am sorry for my actions when I got to town. Now that I know the truth, I will do what I can to help you."

"I'll keep that in mind," and he would, though he was ready to write off her words.

Opening her car door, she grabbed her suitcase from the backseat. Setting it down on the sidewalk behind her, Lucy turned back towards his car; leaning down to talk to him through the open window. "It all makes sense now."

He didn't think he'd ever understand women as a whole. They mentioned things as if everyone around them was supposed to have the innate ability to read minds. He was confused by her words. "What does?"

"When we were together, even at our most intimate times; or as intimate as you were willing to go, you were never…fully there, you know?" He offered her a blank look. "It was like you were waiting for something."

Attempting to think on some of the time they shared, he couldn't recall ever feeling such a thing. He had never been waiting for someone else to come along.

"Maybe it was more subconscious than anything?" She asked, trying to grasp for an answer as she noticed the confusion on his face. "You never outright did anything, but looking back...you weren't totally invested. I guess now I know why." Smiling at him, she backed away from the car.

* * *

"How are you?" She appraised her companion, taking notice of the way that he gingerly moved. A sense of satisfaction settled over her. "Sore, are you?" Not bothering to wait for an answer, she nodded her head. "Good."

"Your concern is touching," he spat back, slightly offended with Elena's attitude.

Letting out a sigh of frustration, she dropped her attitude and claimed a seat next to him. "Of course I'm glad that you're okay," she told him quietly. A sense of guilt settled over her then when she considered her reaction. And judging by the expression on his face, he was doubtful because of her words. "Just because we aren't together anymore doesn't mean that I don't care about you," she denied meekly.

Stefan shook his head after a short pause. "I really don't want to discuss this right now," he told her with a sigh. The last thing he wanted to do was think about Elena with Elijah. From the moment that she'd told him about her relationship with Elijah, his mind had conjured various scenarios…where each and every one of them drove him crazy.

"Fine," she agreed, willing to leave Elijah and their relationship on the backburner…for the time being. "What were the two of you thinking this weekend? You weren't invited…for a reason." The question was out before she could control herself, but she needed to know. The last time she'd asked him, he told her that they were trying to save her. She knew that wasn't the only reason they'd attempted to crash the party though. _Elijah would never have let anything happen to her. He could protect her better than anyone._

"The Salvatore Family was one of the founding families," he reminded her stiffly, knowing that his excuse was just as weak as it had been when Damon used it on him.

"I suppose they were, but didn't Damon kill your last living relative?" He didn't even attempt to argue with her point. "If you guys had just stayed home-"

Cutting her off, he silenced her with a glare. "I'm aware that nothing would have happened." The same thought had taunted him while he recuperated. "As you can probably imagine, that did not go down the way we planned."

"Yeah, I suppose it was not your stealthiest moment. Why did you have to plan anything?" She inquired, giving him her undivided attention. Attempting to keep the expression on her face neutral, she hoped it would coax an honest answer out of him. Because once upon a time, they told each other everything, or she thought they did.

With a brief shake of his head, he stared at her as if she'd suddenly spouted a second head. "Are you serious? You're romantically involved with a thousand year old vampire. You've seen him rip the hearts out of vampires and compel others to kill themselves," he reminded her. "You used to be scared of him; and then he comes back and you're attracted to him?" He searched her face, looking for a response to his observation. Oddly enough, she remained completely impassive; a trait her boyfriend possessed as well, a trait he was beginning to hate.

"A lot has changed since then, Stefan." _For starters, he's my mate._ "Back then, when I looked into my distant future, I was still with you." Her words held nothing but the absolute truth. At the time, she'd noticed Elijah. She would have had to have been blind not to. However, she never would have imagined acting on it…until that afternoon. "And yes, I was scared back then, but that was because I didn't know what to expect from Elijah; before I got to know him." _Elijah would never hurt me._

He turned his gaze on her. He needed to know that she was serious. "And you really think you know him?" Was that even possible? "How do you know he hasn't been compelling you?"

_Because he's my mate. He wouldn't do that._

"He wouldn't do that," she denied quickly.

_And he certainly had no reason to._

Stefan narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you sure? Wasn't he going to do it the first day the two of you met to get information out of you?"

"Yes, but-"

Not bothering to listen to her defense, he continued on. "He could have compelled you and you wouldn't have known. You could be under his compulsion right now and not know it." He watched her shake her head. "They have no qualms about getting what they want, by whatever means necessary."

Yes, she was aware of that. She knew how they operated, she'd seen it plenty of times. "Maybe so, but if they're going to take something from someone, they're going to want that person to know it and _who_ took it from them," she argued. "I can assure you that my relationship isn't based on compulsion."

Growing exasperated with his companion, he sighed and threw his hands in the air. "And how do you know?"

"Because he's my mate!" She exclaimed, annoyed with his incessant questions. Her reaction was instantaneous. Gasping, she covered her mouth with her hand as her eyes widened. She couldn't believe she'd just revealed that! "Stefan?" He didn't even blink when she called his name. "Stefan?" Again, there was no response. "Alaric!"

Rushing down the stairs, he stopped when he entered the room that Elena and Stefan had been occupying. "What?"

Pulling her gaze away from Stefan, she looked to Alaric with tears in her eyes. "I said something without thinking." Turning her sad face back towards Stefan, she nibbled on her bottom lip. "He was just…saying that I was only with Elijah because he was compelling me, and it just came out!"

"What came out?" He wasn't following her.

"Elijah and I are mated."

"What does that even mean?" Alaric asked, not understanding her one bit. What was a mate? He'd known that vampires often had companions, but he'd never heard of mates; then again, he was apparently a little rusty when it came to vampires.

"It means that she is my match in every way," Elijah said, letting himself into the Gilbert residence. "It means that she and I are irrevocably tied to one another and will be until the end of time." He moved closer to Elena, concerned for her tears. "What happened, inamorata?"

"I told him, about us." Shaking her head, she looked up at Elijah. "I didn't meant to tell him like this, but it just came out, I was just…so frustrated with him. I knew that I owed him the absolute truth, but I couldn't find my nerves to do it. I certainly didn't intend for it to come out this way."

"Elena…" Elijah trailed off, regretful that she was so obviously worked up because of the situation. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he squeezed the skin in what he hoped was a comforting way. He'd known that she was going to struggle with telling Stefan the events of the afternoon that forever changed their relationship, bt he wished he could do more for her.

Looking between Elena and Elijah, Alaric frowned. "How did this even happen?"

Elena pulled her eyes away from Elijah's before sparing him an uncomfortable glance. "It isn't my proudest moment, and I was planning to reveal this to Stefan before I said something to anyone else…" She owed him that much. Looking back towards Stefan, she noticed that he'd seemed to break from whatever funk he fell in upon hearing her first words. "Stefan?"

"How did this happen?" Stefan asked, mirroring Alaric's question. The frown on her face deepened and he was particularly interested in wanting to know why she felt she owed him answers before anyone else. What had she done? "Wait, when did this happen?"

Looking back towards Elijah, she didn't say a word. Instead, she frowned at him, hoping that whatever Stefan said in retaliation wouldn't be used against him at a later time. When he returned the meaningful glance with a small smile of understanding, she cleared her throat. Taking a deep breath as if to prepare herself, Elena turned to her ex-boyfriend, giving him all of her attention. "It happened months ago…before the ritual."

Hissing in response, Stefan jumped out of the chair he'd been sitting in. "All this time?! All this time, you were mated to him and you didn't say a word!" Turning his back on the occupants of the room, he stared at the wall before him.

"I didn't know that anything had happened. I mean, there were no side-effects or anything," she denied gently. Standing up, she crossed the room to join him, stopping a few feet behind him. "It wasn't until Elijah was un-daggered that everything started happening."

"So, when he was asleep, the side-effects were dormant?" Alaric mused quietly. "Hmmm…" Shaking his head, he pulled his gaze away from Stefan and Elena, and peered curiously at Elijah. "How exactly do you go about mating someone?"

Never pulling his gaze off of Elena and Stefan, he prepared to interfere if the conversation warranted it. And he was sure that it would be needed as soon as he disclosed the next fact. "It happens during physical intimacy." Elijah watched Stefan's shoulders tense before he spun around and faced Elena, with fire in his eyes.

"You had sex with him!? You had sex with him while you and I were together?" He glared at her shaking form. "You cheated on me…after everything that we'd been through, you-"

"I seduced her," Elijah interrupted then. He growled at Stefan in warning, warning him reign in his anger. "It's because of me that anything happened. If you want to blame someone, blame me for seducing her." When Stefan turned his murderous gaze on him, he evenly stared back at him.

"You seduced her, you seduced a seventeen year old?" Alaric asked, shocked by the revelation. "Why would you do such a thing?"

He didn't pull his gaze away from Stefan's when he opened his mouth to answer. "I did it because I could…and because I wanted her." There'd been no apology in his tone then, and there'd been no extenuation in his actions during his seduction.

Forming his hands into fists, Stefan stared spitefully at the Original. "That's comforting to know. You seduced my girlfriend away from me for what? An easy fuck?"

Stepping closer to Stefan, he invaded the vampire's personal bubble. "You have every right to be angry about the situation-"

"How kind of you to say so."

"But you will refrain from referring to Elena in a demeaning way," Elijah ordered, ignoring Stefan's interruption. "At that point in time, everyone's nerves were shot. She needed some sort of…release, if you will; and there was no reason for me not to."

Narrowing his eyes, he spun around and glared at Elena. "When did this happen?"

Shuddering, Elena's eyes filled with new tears. "The day that I removed the dagger from Elijah," she confessed in a small voice.

Stalking up to her, he gripped her upper arms in his hands and pulled her to his body. "So when Damon and I were going out of our minds with worry for you, you were fucking him?"

Elena whimpered in response to his tightening hold on her, but shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Stefan. I'm so sorry that I've hurt you in such a way." When the strength of his hold increased, she winced.

Barely any time had passed since he'd first placed his hold on Elena, but Elijah was right behind Stefan. Placing a stronghold on the younger vampire, he growled threateningly. "You will remove your hands from her this instant, or I'll remove your head from your body." Stefan complied with his orders. As soon as he dropped Elena's arms, he pushed Stefan away from her.

Taking a moment to catch himself, he spun around to face Elijah and Elena. By then, the Original had placed her securely behind him. "Damn your apologies, Elena! They mean absolutely nothing to me." Without sparing a glance at Alaric, he turned away and stalked out of the house.

* * *

"For someone who is returning home after spending a majority of his day with his lady love, you look miserable."

Elijah shook his head and gracelessly dropped down on the couch next to his baby brother. "Quite perceptive you are, Kol…"

Looking up from the book that he'd been reading, Finn frowned as he looked from Elijah's rumpled form towards Kol. "Kol does make a fine observation though." When Elijah didn't even bother to open his eyes, Finn once again turned towards Kol's concerned form.

"What happened, Elijah?" Kol inquired. "Did something happen today?"

Opening his eyes, he stared ahead; not bothering to meet anyone's gaze. "Elena told Stefan about the mating."

Kol nodded once. "Oh…"

"I assume it was not a planned conversation," Finn observed. "How did it go?"

"He was angry, Elena cried and then I got angry," he offered the abridged version.

"So, a shit ton of fun then?" Kol asked, smirking at Elijah when he shot him a glare. "Don't look at me like that, I'm not the one that made your mate cry," he swiftly reminded him as he held his hands up innocently.

"Kol, can you just…can't you be mature about something for once in your life?"

The youngest brother glared at Finn for his question. "You act as if this was some unforeseeable event, but we know it wasn't." He turned to look at Elijah with an honest expression on his face. "You and Elena act like it doesn't bother people to see you together, when it does." He ignored the fact that just the previous night, Elijah declared his interest in Elena in a room full complete strangers. No, he spoke of their siblings and Elena's friends. "You pissed off and shocked the hell out of people, of course there are going to be angry people. Just wait until Klaus and Rebekah find out."

"Wait until we find out what?" Klaus asked as he and Rebekah walked downstairs. Bypassing the front door they were getting ready to leave from, he stalked towards his brothers.

Rebekah let out a sigh of annoyance. Stopping at the front door, she waited for Klaus to return to her. "Really, Klaus? Does it matter?" She doubted there was anything interesting to hear from her brothers. If it concerned the events from the previous night, she doubted they'd be so blasé in their tones of voices.

"Call me curious," Klaus shrugged in response. He turned to look at Finn first, and then Kol. Both seemed to be normal in their appearance and manner, nothing wrong there. And then he turned towards Elijah's less than composed appearance. His hair was messy, his suit jacket rumpled, and he lounged on the couch; something he never did. "Elijah, has something happened?" When his brother didn't immediately answer, he narrowed his eyes. "Elijah?"

Meeting Klaus' probing gaze, Elijah resolved his nerves. Sitting up straighter he pursed his lips. "Yes, Nicklaus, something has happened."

Kol closed his eyes and shook his head. "Shit…"

Klaus simply spared Kol an interested look, but didn't say anything. From behind him, he heard Finn set down his book and move closer to them. "Yes, and judging by their reactions, Finn and Kol are already aware…"

Elijah nodded. "Yes."

"Well, what is it then?"

"My relationship with Elena."

Rolling his eyes, Klaus pulled away. "And here I thought you were going to tell me something important." Turning away, he shuffled back towards his sister.

"She's my mate."

The words forced him to stop where he was. Klaus was vaguely aware of his sister's cry of indignation. He was vaguely aware of his brothers, calling his name to break him from the tunnel vision he had. But he was very aware of the blows that he and Elijah traded.

* * *

Knocking on Elena's open door, he pulled Elena's attention from the blank space she was staring through. "How are you?"

Looking at Alaric, she offered him a half-smile. Shrugging at him, she was sure that she looked just as pathetic as she had earlier that afternoon. "I knew it would be hard, I expected it, but I…no matter how many times I tried to prepare myself, it wasn't enough." Playing everything over in her mind, she sighed. "The look on his face, Ric. He's never going to forgive me. I never intended to hurt him."

Stepping into her room, he claimed a seat on the edge of her bed and he took her hand in his. "I know, and I think that deep down, Stefan knows that as well." Letting out a sad sigh, he squeezed her hand. "I wish I could offer you some words of comfort, but…this course was set months ago."

Elena nodded. "I know. I shouldn't have waited so long to say anything. I should have told him earlier..." Of course there had never been a time to do so. By the time Stefan returned to Mystic Falls, she hadn't had a chance. After his humanity had been turned off, she hadn't wanted to. It seemed like situation after situation arose and she didn't bother to make it a point to say anything.

"Yeah, you should have," Alaric nodded. If it had been him, he'd want to have known the first chance they had to sit down and talk. "At least you said something, you got the worst of it over."

"If you tell me that it's like ripping off a band-aid…"

Alaric cracked a smile at her words. "Now all you have to do is wait for things to get better," he advised, skipping over the part about band-aids.

Elena winced. "Stefan was only the beginning. I still haven't said a word to Damon, Caroline, Matt and Bonnie about the mating."

"But Stefan was the one you worried about most," he offered. "Now that you got the part over with, the others will just be a walk in the park."

She wished she could believe him, but there was still Damon to deal with. "Damon's going to be just as upset." Maybe not for the same reasons as Stefan, but he'd be angry nonetheless.

"Yeah, he will be."

She was glad that he didn't lie to her or attempt to make her feel better, but she wished that just once, he'd lie to her. Pursing her lips, she tried to make sense of her thoughts. "I never thought that this thing with Elijah was anything other than two people sharing an afternoon together. That's all it was intended to be, so I didn't think there was a point in confessing anything, that there was no point in hurting Stefan." What she left unsaid, was that she'd been more shamed and afraid than anything.

"Do you regret it?"

As soon as the words were spoken, she shook her head. Pulling her hand away from his, she ran it through her long locks. "No. Maybe I should, but…I can't." She didn't want to. "The only thing I regret is the way that it happened, hurting Stefan."

"Then maybe you should focus on that?" Alaric asked. "Despite the way that it came about, it must have happened for a reason."

"I didn't think that you were one to believe in coincidences," she whispered.

He offered her a thin smile. "And I never was, until I moved here. I didn't until I became involved with my dead wife's secret daughter's aunt."

* * *

"So, I see that you've successfully managed to overcome your differences with your brother and sister…"

Shaking his head and offering her a sardonic smile, Elijah tossed back the remainder of his drink. He hardly noticed the slow burn of the amber liquid. Setting his glass down, he sighed. "I'd hardly call that overcoming our differences," he replied. After his fist fight with Klaus, he'd talked to his siblings. Rebekah had been slightly mollified, but still far from happy about his situation with Elena. As for Klaus…just because they hadn't killed one another during their fight, didn't mean that they were close to finding a resolution.

"No, I suppose not," Esther agreed, feeling as if she'd been chastised. "At least you were able to air your grievances."

He was amazed by her spin on his conversation. "I don't think there's enough time in the world that would allow Nicklaus and I to overcome our differences." It was sad, but it was the truth. There was so much pent up resentment housed in his heart where his half-brother was concerned. And until Klaus was able to admit his own wrong-doings, his feelings would stay that way. At that moment in time, Klaus felt as if he'd been betrayed by his brother, because there was no way he would be able to use Elena the way he needed to make his hybrids.

"I wish you would not say things like that."

"I only speak the truth."

"He's had much to overcome, Elijah," Esther said, attempting to defend Klaus.

"And the rest of us haven't?!" Spinning around, he stared at her with unrestrained shock. How could she possibly be so blind? "Klaus is not the only one that suffered," he swiftly reminded her. "Yes, he wasn't my father's son, but he was raised as such! When Nicklaus learned the truth, we all experienced the fall-out." All of their lives had been altered. "Thanks to your selfishness, we all endured the transition and all that it entailed." They all fought to control the blood lust that consumed their every waking moments; they attempted to reign in the severity of their augmented emotions. "So do not sit there and make excuses for him!" As far as he was concerned, Klaus was no different than the rest of them.

Esther shook her head. "You have never seen the world through his eyes," she denied softly. How could Elijah possibly understand her reasoning? "Of all my children, you were the one I never worried about. I knew that you would adapt…evolve, because you were Mikael's son. He did his duty, raising you and your brothers, but he always gave you special attention."

He didn't remember it quite that way. He knew that as the eldest, and the first boy, he was given particular attention. However, he never once thought of himself being Mikael's favorite. Then again, Mikael had never been one to declare favorites. The difference between himself and Klaus, was that he knew what had been expected of him, and he accepted it. He didn't fight his father over every decision the way that his brother had.

"Klaus never had the benefit of the doubt where your father was concerned. He never treated Klaus the way he treated the rest of you."

"Or maybe he did, but you allowed your own feelings to cloud your judgment?" Elijah retorted. Esther herself never declared any favorites, but she always looked on Nicklaus with a special light in her eyes. It wasn't until the revelation of her affair that he was able to understand the reason why. "Klaus never did have an easy temperament," he reminded her. Between Klaus' need to argue a point to death and Mikael's swift anger, it was no surprise that the two bumped heads.

Unwilling to meet Elijah half-way, Esther shook her head. "His entire life was a lie."

"No it wasn't. He is my brother in every way, the same way that Finn and Kol are. He always was. We never treated him differently once the truth came out, but he was never able to see it. It was as if he would look for differences and he would always read too much into situations." It was as if he was looking for excuses to everything. "You didn't see him over the years. You didn't see him morph into this…pod person who simply wore his face." They'd all experienced changes in their behaviors upon turning, but no one more so than Klaus. "And it's only developed throughout the years. You make excuses for him, you always have. He has grown into a man that is unable to accept blame where it's due."

"I never intended to hinder him," Esther argued softly. "Your father was just so…strict, especially where Nicklaus was concerned. I simply wanted him to know that he had a parent that loved him."

"But that's exactly what you did, you did hinder him." Amazingly, Klaus still appeared to look at everything and categorize them as black or white. There were no shades of grey. It was either his way, or no way. "I watched as Kol stumbled his way through this hellish existence on Earth, I was there with Rebekah as she made one mistake after another on account of her pride, and yet you never speak of pardoning them." Where was her fierce defense of them?

Unable to argue against his accusation, Esther expelled a deep breath. She never intended to treat Klaus so different from the rest of her children, but he'd been a gift to her. He was the one thing gift that her dearest had given to her. Why was it so wrong to want to cherish that? She loved all of her children equally, but she did hold a special regard for him.

"You claim you want to start over," Elijah sighed, "but I don't see how that's possible." Pursing his lips, he stood up and headed towards the closed door. "We are all to blame for the implosion that ruined our lives, and until we all accept our roles, nothing will change this time around." And if nothing was going to change, then why should they even make an attempt?

"Elijah…"

With his hand over the doorknob, he paused before turning around to look at his mother. "I understand that Klaus was the one thing that entwined you to your love, honestly, I do." Of course she would look on Klaus with a sense of reverence, it made sense. "However, you have four other children who have suffered as well."

* * *

AN: So what do you guys think? I know that Klaus and Rebekah's reactions were just brushed over in this one. There will be more in the following chapters. This was just the beginning. Truths will be revealed, questions will be answered and bad guys will be introduced.


	14. Chapter 14

Elliesmeow: Can I tell you how happy I am to hear that you liked Elijah's talk with Kol and Finn. Klaus and Rebekah were written to have such a close bond in the show, and I always hated that Elijah was left out. So, I was hoping to use Finn and Kol in a positive way where Elijah was concerned. As for Elijah's conversation with Esther, that conversation kind of wrote itself. All will be revealed in the next couple chapters as to who finds out and how. Yes, Lucy should have told Elijah the entire truth when she was with him, but she'll be saying something soon. I'd tell you which chapter, but because I write ahead, I can't remember at this moment. And I need to apologize about what I said before. While she won't exactly supply the answers for the mating, she'd the one that brought about Elijah and Elena finding answers. And thank you for your kind words about my writing!

Eva: Lucy's words about the mating being fate, is just speculation at this time. But I will address all of that at a later time. Yes, Lucy made a mistake by not telling Elijah everything that she'd done, but that will come out. That whole fighting thing, I meant to fade it out like that. I am not good at describing physical altercations, so I'd rather leave it to the imagination. I'm glad you're liking all the character interactions that I'm adding, and I was smiling like a fool when I got such positive feedback about the Esther/Elijah conversation. There's still a distance between the two, and there will be for a few chapters more...at least. I hadn't considered flashbacks, but considering I'm no where finished with this, it could happen in a later chapter...but I'm not guaranteeing anything. You know, I can always turn to you to lift my spirits. Thank you for your wonderful words!

SwanQueen4055: Thank you!

ValkyrieBeauty: There is still more drama to come. I thought about making it easy, but it would put Klaus and Rebekah out of character. I know that I may make mistakes through the story where the characters are concerned, but I'm trying to keep them close to what we've seen, in one way or another. I had considered doing a flashback about their first time, and I think I know the best place to include it, but it's nothing more than a thought right now.

K hime: Thank you for all of your reviews in the last few days. I'm glad that you've come across them and are enjoying them.

DarkAngelMi818: Yes, I've introduced one bad guy, and there's one more to come. As for Elena's transition, I've had a couple ideas, but I still haven't settled on one.

AN: Okay guys, so I'm introducing a character from the show in this one. Needless to say, it will change a few things from here on out.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

* * *

Chapter 14

Hearing the light knocking on her front door, Elena paused her movie as she moved to answer the door; already knowing who was on the other side. Casting a glance up the stairs, she hoped that Alaric wouldn't get up. While he was relatively understanding about the position she found herself in with Elijah, he was still unnerved with it; and Elijah in general.

Opening the door, she leaned against it. "Hey," she greeted softly. When he'd left her earlier that day, he promised to return later in the evening. By the time 'evening' passed, she'd been worried about him. Elijah never backed out on his word.

Offering her a small, half smile, he stepped by her quietly.

Frowning at his response, she shut and locked the door behind her. When she turned around to face him, she watched as he looked around the house. "Alaric's upstairs sleeping." He nodded twice before looking down. "What happened, Elijah?"

Stepping closer to her, he didn't bother with any words. Instead, he grabbed her hand and gently yanked her against him.

"Elijah? What-"

Before she could finish her question, he captured her mouth in a kiss.

Widening her eyes because of the intensity of his kiss, she gasped. Taking advantage of her open mouth, he thrust his tongue in her mouth, hoping to entice a response out of her. She wasn't sure what had happened, but he obviously needed the moment…she closed her eyes and responded eagerly to actions.

When he felt her fully submit to him, he picked her up and carried her the short distance towards the couch. Sitting down, he kept her secured on his lap as the intensity of their kiss died out. Pulling his mouth away from hers, he gave her an opportunity to breathe before he placed another kiss on her lips. Letting out a sigh, he dropped his head against the crook of her neck.

"Elijah?" Not that she didn't appreciate the greeting, but he'd never been so desperate before. "What happened?" He tightened his hold around her waist and kissed her collar bone.

"I told them. I told Klaus and Rebekah about the mating," he whispered, not bothering to lift his head. He felt her tense against his body and he lifted his head to look at her.

She hadn't expecting that piece of information. Were they upset? Mentally shaking her head she corrected herself. Of course they were! It was Klaus and Rebekah! But it didn't matter…at least not right then. Forcing her body to relax, she met his eyes and offered him a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Elijah. Was it very bad?"

Noticing the words that she'd spoken, he would have chuckled if he wasn't so emotionally drained. She knew that there was only one way the two would have reacted…badly. "Klaus and I came to blows."

She framed his face in her hands and inspected every inch of him that she'd looked past. "Are you okay?"

He smiled sadly at her actions. Pulling her hands off his cheek, he kissed the back of each of them before looking back at her. "They're already healed. Finn and Kol stepped in before things took a turn for the worse."

"Oh, honey…" The world slipped out subconsciously as leaned in and rested her forehead against his. "I'm so sorry that happened." It seemed to her that every single time Elijah served the ball in Klaus' court, he did nothing but disappoint him.

Shaking his head, closed his eyes. "I expected it," he denied. So he'd been prepared for Klaus' assault.

"I know, but I wish that you wouldn't have had to," she replied in a soft voice. "What made you decide to tell them? I mean, why today?" After the drama that happened when she told Stefan, after her tears; why had he done such a thing?

"You told Stefan, you didn't mean to, but you did. I guess it inspired me to…rip off the band-aid." Pulling away from her, he searched her gaze, taking notice of the thinning of her lips when he mentioned the first-aid article. "What?"

Shaking her head, her smile morphed into one of sincerity. "Never mind." Leaning in, she kissed his cheek. "It's not over. I still have the rest of my friends to deal with, Damon." Thinking about the fight that would no doubt occur, she groaned. "Damon," she repeated with a whine. "He's going to freak."

"He'll do no such thing," Elijah growled. He'd make sure of it! If Damon had an issue, he could deal with him. He wouldn't leave Elena to deal with his tantrum. If Stefan's threatening hold on Elena earlier that day was anything to go by, he'd make sure that Damon kept his distance. He was still growling lowly at the thought of Damon harming Elena.

"Hey, you're being awfully growly right now," Elena pointed out, his actions stilling as she said such.

"Can't help myself," he replied easily. "When I think about someone threatening you, I can't help but feel a little growly." Placing a kiss on her neck, he inhaled her scent. "Besides, I know that you like it when I do that."

Elena felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. She'd hoped that he wouldn't have noticed her reaction to his growling.

"Oh, don't be embarrassed, lover," he cooed, leaning in and licking the shell of her ear. "I enjoy all of your reactions to me. I like that my mate is so responsive to me. It makes my seduction so much easier," he breathed into her ear.

"And you're seducing me right now?" Elena asked, closing her eyes against the sensations he was creating.

He shook his head. "Oh, you'll know when I'm seducing you. And as much as I'd like to, I believe we have a conversation to be had first."

Feeling as if a bucket of cold water had just been dumped over her head, Elena sighed. Gone were all the pleasurable feelings he'd conjured. Instead, she'd been left with a multitude of emotions that made little sense to her. Since her conversation with Stefan, she'd been able to ignore her reactions to her dream, and she'd embraced it.

"You said you dreamt of Tatia, and I can only assume that I was involved in it," he said, pulling her from her thoughts. He watched when she began to pout.

"I did."

And she wouldn't elaborate?! It was clear by the semi scowl on her face that she was less than pleased with what happened in her dream. "And?" He prompted, hoping that she'd expand on her reaction.

Looking down at his throat, she pouted. "I feel jealous," she mumbled.

Even though her words were said in such a quiet state, he'd still been able to hear her clearly. "Elena? I thought I told you before that you had nothing to worry about. Yes, I cared for both Tatia and Katarina in one degree or another, it doesn't come close to the way I feel for you." Had he neglected her in some way? Is that why she was so upset?

"No, I know," she replied with a shake of her head.

"Do you?" Their conversation seemed reminiscent to the one he'd had with her upon learning about that poor girl's grisly demise.

"No, I do. I mean realistically, I don't doubt you at all. It's just…I don't know." Sighing in frustration, she removed herself from his lap and claimed a seat next to him. "The feelings were there again. The jealousy I feel…felt, it's like it's my own." Resting her arms on her thighs, she stared out at the space before her. "It was so different."

"So you weren't Tatia in your dream?"

She shook her head negatively. "No. I was watching the two of you as if I would a play. The two of you didn't even acknowledge me." Which further led her to think that she'd been hidden from their view.

"And what were we discussing?"

She looked over at him with a sad smile. "You were breaking up. You'd just discovered her indiscretions with your brother." Looking away from him, she sighed. "And I felt jealousy and then there was this…self-righteousness. I was happy that you were in pain, and then guilt overwhelms me. And then, bam! It's just over. And I wake up. All I know is that I was not an active participant in my dream and I was an emotional wreck."

"I know you said you were an active participant in your dreams, but maybe it isn't always the case." If she'd had another dream where she interacted with him, he'd be more accepting.

Considering his words, she nodded. "Maybe it's part of the mating? Maybe my last dream was nothing more than a dream, and this one was because you and I are partly mated?"

Yes, but if that was the case, then why didn't he have dreams? Not only was a vampire, but it was because of his siblings and him that the entire species was spawned. Wouldn't he, above all other vampires, have experienced something similar? Or more? "Maybe you were just meant to see my conversation with Tatia as you? Maybe it doesn't mean anything?"

"But the emotions I felt were so strong, Elijah. I could practically chew on the jealousy it was so thick."

They had both offered valid points that could neither be disproved or accepted. "Maybe we should tell someone about them?"

"Like who?" Her friends wouldn't be able to offer them any incite, and she doubted his siblings could. Even if Klaus knew the reasoning, he'd never tell them.

He sighed then, unable to predict her reaction to his suggestion. "My mother?"

Her head spun around and she offered him her most perplexing glance. "Your mother?" She repeated. Had she heard that right? When he nodded, she stared at him. "I thought you were weary of her intentions?"

"I am…was," he stuttered. He wasn't sure where he settled when it came to Esther. He knew that he wanted to talk to her, he wanted to open up to her. Yet despite the desire, he held back from her. He couldn't say that he trusted her, but he wanted to; and that worried him. There was no close tie between them, and he didn't think that sharing something so important to himself and Elena was the way to begin. Shouldn't she prove herself first? "I'm not sure," he corrected. "What I do know, is that my mother is very knowledgeable about a great many things." Things that she hadn't been able to pass on to any of her children before their transitions.

She wanted to agree with him, simply for the sake of accepting his suggestion. However, she found herself weary and unable to cooperate. Esther had attempted to kill her…from the other side. She was powerful enough to make contact with and entice Vicky to kill her. That made her a tad bit more powerful than any of her children, didn't it? She didn't know if she wanted to invite such a power into her life.

"I'll think about it," she hedged evenly. At least that way, she didn't give into him easily, but she was still able to hold on to her feelings. If there was one thing she refused to do because of her boyfriend, any of them; it was to sacrifice herself for the sake of making someone else happy.

Leaning over, he placed an arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. "That's all I ask, just think about it." He knew that she was still very uncomfortable where his mother was concerned, and he didn't blame her for it. "And what were you doing before I got here?"

"Nothing much, I had an old movie on," she shrugged. "Would you like to join me?"

He was positive that their tastes in movies were vastly different, similar to how their tastes in music, television and hobbies fell. However, he was willing to suffer through anything so long as he spent time with her. "Sure. What are we watching?"

"A classic."

He felt a smirk forming across his lips. It would be entertaining to hear what she considered a 'classic.' "Oh?"

"The Breakfast Club. Have you seen it?"

"Once or twice," he shrugged. "While it has stood the test of time and resonated with high school students all over the world and still does, I'd hardly call it a classic."

"Whatever, it's awesome," she denied, putting the movie back on. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she snuggled into his side.

Placing a kiss on the top of her head, placed an arm around her form. For that one moment in time, everything was perfect for him. In that moment in time, he was happy and content. Never before would he have thought that he could feel such emotions while watching a film; and he supposed that he had Elena to thank for that.

"Elena?" He felt her body begin to slump against his.

"Hmmm?"

It was obvious by the sound of her voice, she was nearly asleep. "Do you want to lie down?"

"No. I'm perfectly happy right here," she mumbled.

"Me too," he admitted. Looking back towards the movie, he watched as one of the characters mouthed off to the principal. "Elena?"

"Mmmm…"

"I'm in love with you." When he didn't hear anything in reply, he looked down at her, adjusting her position. She was completely asleep. Shaking his head, he stood, gently maneuvering her so she didn't wake up. Bending over, he slipped one arm under her back and the other under her legs. Picking her up, he moved to carry her to bed.

When he reached her room, he gently placed her on her bed; accidentally jostling her awake.

Opening her eyes, she made notice of the way he stood. "Where are you going? Stay with me?"

He didn't hesitate to join her. Removing his jacket, he set it down on the back of Elena's desk chair before removing his dress shirt. Removing his shoes, he joined Elena in bed.

* * *

"What are you guys doing here?" Elena asked, opening the door. She spent a good majority of the last hour sitting uncomfortably with Elijah and Alaric in stilted conversation. When she heard the knock on the door, she eagerly jumped to answer it.

"Damon was at the Grill last night, nagging about one thing or another," Matt shrugged. "He was pretty mad and mentioned you a few times." Elena didn't even blink in response, as if she'd been expecting something like that.

"And then Matt called me to ask me about it," Bonnie volunteered.

Nodding her head, Caroline jumped in. "And me. So we decided to come and talk to you."

Elena shook her head. "You mean to get answers," she corrected. She watched when her friends looked away from her, obviously embarrassed by her easy deduction.

"And to see how you were…after Friday and all," Bonnie added quietly. She hadn't been too upset by her lack of invitation to the Mikaelson ball, not wanting to be in such close quarters with the Originals. She told Elena that she wouldn't do anything to Elijah, or provoke him or his siblings, and she meant it. However, she was finding it difficult to ignore the niggling in the back of her head that told her how wrong her arrangement was.

Pulling the door open even further, she gestured inside. "You guys might as well come in."

Caroline was the first inside and stopped when her hearing picked up murmuring through the house. "Uh, who's here?" She'd expected Alaric, and she was easily able to discern his voice, but who was he chatting with?

"Oh, Elijah stayed over last night," Elena shrugged, as if it was completely normal. Which for her, it was becoming a new normal for her. "He and Rick are in the kitchen talking."

Matt, Bonnie and Caroline exchanged looks of interest. "Oh, and how's that going?" Matt asked, speaking up for the three of them.

Elena shrugged. "It's going." She remembered how awkward she'd felt just sitting with the two of them, and she was on good terms with each. She could only imagine how weird it was for Rick and Elijah. "Alaric is really trying and I'm giving him points for effort." She knew of his feelings for not only Elijah, but most vampires; so the fact that he hadn't done anything to the Original, gave her hope.

Turning her attention to the conversation, Caroline listened in for a few seconds before she turned her attention back on Elena. "Elijah seems completely at ease." He didn't appear to offer anything, but he was willing to speak when Alaric said something.

"I'd hope so. After living for a millennia, he should be able to bullshit better than anyone," Matt muttered.

Ignoring his words, the brunette looked towards the direction of the kitchen. "I'm just glad that he's willing to try."

"Yeah. Personally I'd feel uncomfortable talking to the person that stabbed me at the dinner table," Bonnie offered weakly.

"And I guess it's nice that they're trying to get along, but why are they?"

Elena looked at her ex-boyfriend. "You mean aside for the sake of having me in common?"

He offered her a sheepish. "Sorry, yeah, that sounded better in my head," he excused.

Knowing that he meant no offense, she nodded. "I know, Mattie. Actually, there's something that I haven't told you guys," she began. Wringing her hands together, she tried to sooth her nerves. She remembered how well her news about Elijah went over when she told the girls last time. How would it be upon learning that it was so much more than a relationship?

"This doesn't sound good…" Caroline broke in then.

"And Stefan knows now…and judging by what you said about Damon last night, I'm sure he knows. And Elijah told his family, so now it's time to just…get it all out."

"Yes, and thank you for making us the last to know," Matt added.

Elena rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean it like that, it's just that Stefan deserved to know about it before anyone else, and then it all just…sort of came out. I honestly didn't intend to leave you guys out of the loop so long."

"What is it, Elena?"

"Things with Elijah are a little more complicated than I mentioned. He and I are mated…or we're in the process of being so. Things are just slightly more intense for us."

"In what way?"

"So it's true then? You really are…I was hoping my brother had misunderstood things," Damon interrupted, opening the front door and leaning against it.

Angered by his sudden arrival and accusations, she shook her head. "Was that before or after you were raving about me at the grill last night?" If it had been anyone else, they would have had enough grace to look away ashamed, but not Damon. He met her gaze evenly.

"Heard about that, huh?" He asked with an unapologetic expression on his face. "Funny how fast news travels…" he glared at Matt, knowing he'd been the one to open his mouth.

When Matt began fidgeting, Bonnie stepped in front of him and glared at the vampire. "Isn't it? Maybe you shouldn't vent so loudly?"

Damon turned his glare onto her before taking notice of the inhabitants of the room. Elijah and Alaric appeared from another room of the house. "Well, doesn't this look pleasant? And I wasn't invited, I'm hurt."

"You weren't wanted," Caroline bit out in annoyance.

Ignoring the blonde completely, he set his attention on Elena. "So, you stupidly mated yourself to Elijah?"

"It wasn't as if we intended for it to happen, we didn't ask for it," she denied. "It isn't as if I did it to hurt you."

Moving marginally closer to her, he offered her a dead stare. "As if you could," he sneered. "He's a bad guy, you know. The entire family is. He's proved more than once that he cares for no one but himself. Do you really think you can change that?"

"I think you've said enough, Damon," Elijah said, stepping forward.

Damon met Elijah's threatening gaze, but didn't back away from Elena. "You said you didn't ask for it? Then break it."

"I can't," she told him with a shake of her head. "And even if I could…I wouldn't," she finished softly, knowing that despite her words, she'd hurt him. She watched Damon back away from her, closing off the expression on his face. She felt Elijah step up behind her.

"You heard her, Damon," Elijah added, glaring at the man.

Damon shook his head as he looked from one person to the next. When his gaze settled on Bonnie, he narrowed his eyes. "You walked away from us, not wanting to participate in anything that would hurt Elena, but you may as well have just made a deal with the devil."

"It doesn't have to be like that, Damon," Elena denied. She couldn't guarantee that Klaus would stop his actions against any of them, but she knew that Elijah would do his best to attempt to keep him at bay.

How could she look past everything that Klaus had done and put herself in such a position? Elijah had already turned his back on them once, how could she overlook that? "And you, stay away from me, stay away from my brother," he warned. "You and Katherine…you're just the same. You care about no one but yourselves."

"That's not true."

"After everything that we've done for you, and you turn your back on us!" They would have done anything for her, they had done everything for her! "When Elijah breaks his word and turns his back on you, don't come crying to me."

When Elena's shoulders drooped because of his words, Elijah placed a hand around her waist and squeezed the skin under his hand. "And what tone will you be singing when you and your brother are accosted again?"

Damon's attention moved to the way that Elijah touched Elena, noting the way she appeared to melt into his body. He felt his anger grow and he glared at Elijah. "Is that a threat?"

"Just a question." It had happened once, and failed. What if their attacker decided to go back and fix that? "You do tend to piss quite a few people off," he added with a shake of his head.

When he started to turn towards the door, Elena stepped forward. "Please don't leave like this, Damon."

Her words forced him to hesitate, but only momentarily. Leaving the Gilbert residence without another word or a glance back at any of the occupants of the house, he slammed the door behind him.

"So…that was awkward…" Matt voiced after a moment. When Bonnie glared at him, he looked towards Elena. In that one second, she looked miserable. He'd known that she was close with both Stefan and Damon, but he didn't think that she'd react in such a way.

"Maybe we should give them a minute?" Caroline asked, feeling nearly invisible. Elena's attention was still trained on the front door and Elijah's interest was on her. Shifting from one foot to another, she looked towards the rest of the occupants of the room; wondering if they felt the same way she did.

"Yeah, I suppose so," Alaric agreed, herding Elena's friends out of the room.

If Elena noticed the room clear out, she didn't say a word.

"Elena?" Elijah asked, moving so he was standing in front of her. He knew that with Caroline in the house, there wouldn't be full privacy, but he appreciated the effort. "Elena, speak to me."

His voice pulled her from her thoughts and she blinked rapidly, coming back to the moment. She noticed that they were alone in the room, but she didn't bother to inquire about it. "I'm fine. I expected something like this. He doesn't mean it." She denied quietly. "He's just angry."

* * *

"Why are you here, Lucy?" Elijah asked wearily. After the early afternoon he'd spent at Elena's, the last thing he needed to deal with was Lucy. "I thought you were leaving?" He didn't know where his manners had gone, but his annoyance was plentiful.

Nodding sharply, she smiled tightly. She would say she was offended by his words, but it was obvious he was under duress. "I was, I mean, I am, but first I wanted to help you."

He almost smirked. How could she possibly help him? "And you're going to do that, how?"

She nearly winced. "After my conversation with Elena, I took it upon myself to call some friends of mine."

He didn't have to ask her what conversation she was speaking of. In a fit of anger, he stepped forward, and in a flurry of movement, his hands were around her throat. "You told someone about my mate?" Didn't she realize the problem she could have invited into his life? "What were you thinking?"

Trying to pull his hands away from her neck, she gasped. "They're mated," she choked out. When his grip slackened, she rushed to continue on. "I thought you could use some answers. I was only trying to help." She'd known that if she attempted to tell him anything concerning mates; that he'd take it with a grain of salt. At least if she provided him answers from the source, he wouldn't fight it.

Her excuse placated him, but only enough to remove his hands from her neck. If needed, he'd easily be able to make a move against her. "And if they hurt Elena?"

"They wouldn't!"

"I don't believe you!" Her apology in the car meant nothing to him in that moment. "You placed Elena, my mate, in a potentially dangerous situation. You placed my siblings and me in an uncomfortable position, dealing with new vampires in town. Stefan and Damon Salvatore were attacked days ago. How do I know that your friends aren't responsible for it?" Had she really not thought about this?

Shaking her head, she stepped away from him. "I wouldn't do that to you. I wouldn't place you in harm!" She'd told him not even a full day earlier that she would always love him. How could he think she'd place him in a harmful situation? "I know that acting against Elena would be acting against you."

"If you are lying to me…" He left the threat open-ended, not yet decided what he would do to her. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be pleasant.

"I'm not." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Look, they have a room at the Inn as well. Here's the phone number and their room number. They'll be expecting your call."

Grudgingly, Elijah reached for the piece of paper. He fingered it for a moment, chewing over his decisions. "I'll speak to Elena about it." He wouldn't move to meet the unknown vampires without her. Normally, he would have shuddered upon bringing her to a potentially dangerous situation; but if Lucy was right and her friends could give them the answers they needed, Elena deserved to hear them as well.

Nodding at him, she turned away. She knew to make herself scarce.

"Oh, and Lucy?"

She stopped, turning around to look at him.

"If I regret meeting with them…for any reason, you'll regret breathing a word of this to anyone," he warned.

* * *

"Elena, how are you?"

Looking away from the book she'd been attempting to lose herself in, she offered a forced smile. After Damon's rather dramatic exit, things in the Gilbert residence took a turn to the awkward. Her friends made uneasy excuses and left only minutes after his departure. Elijah offered to stay with her, but she asked for time alone. An hour after that, she left the house, eager to get out and find a distraction of some sort. "Oh, hello Pastor Young. I'm okay, and you?"

"As well as can be expected," he eluded.

She nodded. "Yeah, Bonnie told me that you were the one to find Lillian."

"That poor child. At least she'd returned to the eternal light."

"Yeah…too bad it was so soon though," she denied softly. "She was so young, robbed of so many experiences."

"Yes, but she escaped without knowing the true horrors of the world," he observed.

His words caused her to pause. Elijah hadn't expressly detailed the body when he'd seen Lillian, but he described it as gruesome. She'd died under such awful circumstances! And for Pastor Young to insinuate something else? Was he simply telling her words of comfort? Because as she studied him, she noticed that he seemed convicted in his words. Not knowing what to say, her eyes traveled to the man standing next to him.

Following her gaze, Pastor Young apologized for not giving introductions sooner. "Elena, this is an old friend of mine, Connor Jordan."

She tilted her head at him. When it appeared as if he was studying her, her smile became forced. "Hi." She began packing up her things. "So, how do you two know one another?" Looking at the pair of them, they didn't appear to have anything in common.

"Oh, we go way back," Connor waved away.

Looking between them, she felt her unease grow and she searched for a way to excuse herself from them.

"Elena! There you are!" Elena looked away to find a short brunette walking over to her. Given her attractive features, Elena was easily able see that she was not human. "We've been looking everywhere for you." Smiling at the two men, she moved in front of them, making sure not to touch either of them.

"Have you?" Elena asked weakly when the woman grabbed her hand. Yup, she was a vampire…an unknown vampire. If she stayed, she'd be stuck with Pastor Young; a man who easily made her skin crawl. If she left, she'd be walking away from a public place with an unknown vampire.

She nodded. "Elijah and Lucy are waiting for you before starting the movie," she answered lightly as she offered Elena an imploring stare.

Hearing Elijah's name calmed her nerves instantly. "Oh." Turning to the men she'd been talking with, she smiled. "Excuse me, I guess I'm needed." Grabbing her purse and book, she looked back at them. "Connor, it was nice meeting you. I'll see you around, Pastor Young."

"You can count on it," he replied with a tight smile. He watched as the unknown woman locked her arm through Elena's and led her out of the building. Exhaling a deep breath, he made sure the door was closed before he turned to his companion. "So, what did you think?"

Connor, staring at the direction the girls exited out of, shook his head. "She's human," he answered flatly.

"But she's involved with them," the church leader argued. "She protects them."

Coughing out a short laugh, Connor shook his head. "Highly doubtful. They protect her." Vampires had enemies among vampires, and humans didn't have the strength to fight against vampires. "Either way, she's human and of no interest to me."

"She could be used to trap them…" Pastor Young offered quietly.

Shaking his head, Connor easily denied the idea. He didn't hunt humans, whether they were involved with vampires or not. "I think I'll do things my way for the time being," he shrugged. "What about the girl with her?"

"Never seen her before in my life," Young replied. "You able to read her?"

"Nothing substantial. She was careful not to get too close to me."

* * *

AN: So, what did you guys think?


	15. Chapter 15

Kahli hime: Aww, thank you!

Elliesmeow: There is still more to come between Elena, Caroline and Bonnie, as well as Elijah with his siblings. Yes, Elena could have placed herself in a bad situation, and as for the mating answers, that will be in the next chapter.

Darkangelmi818: No, Lillian was human, she just had the unfortunate fate of having similar traits to Elena. As for Pastor Young...I won't have him blowing up council members, but he certainly won't be good.

Chinapps22: Elijah will have other things to deal with in upcoming chapters, but Damon is not forgotten. And I'm glad you approve where I've taken the characters and still keeping them near character.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you.

Eva: Yeah, she made a stupid decision by leaving with Sarah. I was hoping to show how uncomfortable Pastor Young really made her, maybe I missed the mark? And yes, I'm dropping hints about Pastor Young's intentions. Esther will give them some answers, but not for a while yet. I feel like I need to add those moments where Elijah goes back to being the Original we were first introduced to because I've taken him too far away from it. You're right, I never have written her change, I just brush past it. I guess I never know exactly where to take her because I've read so many awesome stories and I don't think I could write it as well.

Leoslady: Yup, he's a bad, bad man. Well, thank you. I do so enjoy writing Elejah.

Xpaigers: Wow, really? I've read long(er) stories in one sitting and I realize how time consuming it can be, so thank you. And I'm glad I was able to interest you in Elejah, at least for the time being.

Ellavm: Thank you.

Guest: More is coming. I still have no ending in sight.

Musicallover: Thank you. As for my updates, I tend to post them Thursday mornings (Pacific time for me).

Aurora: Heart Surgery...ha! I'm kind of iffy on Stefan. I suppose I don't care for him one way or another, but I have found that more fans (in general) turn a blind eye to his not so charming qualities while lambasting Damon. To each his own, I guess, but I didn't want to ignore it. I'm glad you like 'my' Alaric, I enjoy writing him. And I believe that the way he was treated as a child stuck with him so strongly it's helped to shape the man he became. There will be more reflections on that to come. The dreams will be dealt with eventually. Yeah, I always felt that Elijah and Alaric could have had a mini-bromance thing going on, since they were technically the 'adults.' So while I look forward to writing the two together, and there will be more, I think I kind of struggle with writing it. That Lucy/Elijah scene was thrown in when I went through my re-writing phase. I originally intended to introduce the new vampires in a different way. And then I realized that if I truly wanted to do what I could to keep the characters in character, I would have to modify their introduction.

Guest: Thank you.

Author's note: Wow, thank you all for the wonderful responses! I'm glad you liked this chapter. As promised, things are moving along. I have a couple things I want to tie up and then I'll be dealing with Pastor Young, Connor and the dreams. Remember when I said that I lost a few pages? Well, that would be this chapter and the next one. So if things are a little spotty, I apologize. Once I finished writing them (for the second time), I went back to try and make sure they flowed well enough and I covered everything I originally intended to.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

* * *

Chapter 15

"For a second there, you had me worried," the still unknown vampire voiced when they were far enough away without being overheard. "You almost started turning green and I thought something would be given away to them." Shaking her head, she laughed away the rescue.

Elena didn't bother to deny it. While she couldn't actually feel herself turning green, her nerves had multiplied within a matter of moments when she considered her best option. "Who are you?" Other than mild curiosity, she felt oddly normal while walking next to the unnamed woman. If this vampire meant her harm, she'd have already attacked. Though she supposed that she'd taken a huge risk leaving with her in the first place. Inwardly wincing, she thought of Elijah's reaction when he found out about it. And as if hearing that thought from a distance, she heard her phone chime, letting her know that she had a new text.

**'Where are you?'**

Frowning at Elijah's text, she looked back at the vampire before her. If she told him that she was with a random vampire, he'd probably overreact; which she couldn't blame him. However as she peered over at the woman before her, her interest was piqued. She didn't see her as a threat, and she was afraid that Elijah may scare her off.

**'I'm running errands. I need to talk to you, but I was hoping I could see you.'**

**'Yes, I believe we do.'**

**'I'll call you in a couple minutes.'**

"Sorry," her companion apologized quickly. "My name is Sarah. I'm a friend of Lucy's," though she supposed that Elena had already gathered that by the things she'd said in front of the human's previous companions. "She called me about a situation that a close friend of hers for himself in. She mentioned that he was mated, but that he was still largely unknowing about it."

The words that were relayed to her caused her to stop walking. "I wouldn't call them close friends," she excused stiffly. After all, friends didn't go nearly a century without speaking, did they? Or maybe vampires did? Upon her inquiry, Elena silently berated herself for focusing on the most non-inconsequential thing. Shouldn't her focus have gone to the fact that Lucy called someone only minutes after learning the truth?

When she realized Elena was no longer by her side, Sarah stopped as well. Turning back around, she faced the frowning human. "No," she amended slowly, sensing she'd upset her. "I suppose they aren't, but they are closer that you would like." When Elena let out a defeated sigh, she took pity on the girl and pushed the conversation forth. "Whatever the reason, she called, and I came," she finished with a casual shrug of her shoulders. "Imagine my surprise when her friend is none other than one of the Originals," Sarah mused.

Ignoring the last part of her statement, Elena began walking again. "Why would she call you?" More than that, why had Lucy called anyone?! She should have never said anything to her! Elijah was definitely going to be upset with her for saying anything to anyone.

"Because sweetheart, I have the answers you need." She paused for dramatic effect. "My mate also traveled with me."

"Mate?!" Elena spun around to face her companion in excitement. "So you can explain all this!"

Sarah nodded. "Relax, youngling," she soothed. "Yes, Arthur and I can explain everything, but not until your mate is also present." She watched the excitement shining in the human's eyes dim slightly. "It is only fair." She was sure that Elijah was just as perplexed, even if he didn't want to admit it. He still suffered from the same things that afflicted most men. He didn't ask for directions, or in this case, for answers. "And I'd hate to have to repeat myself."

Elena nodded. "Yeah, no, I agree." She'd rather discover all of it with him. She just didn't think she could wait that long. They'd been needing answers, and since the opportunity arrived to find out, she didn't want to wait. However, there was one question that she'd been wanting to ask. Something that she knew she couldn't utter to Elijah. "I…may I ask you something? I mean before we sit down with them?" Elena breathed quietly.

Peering over at her companion, Sarah mulled over her decision. Elena did appear most eager to find answers to the questions that plagued her; but when she made her inquiry, she was most unsure. While she'd been ready to dismiss it, she knew that there was no room for insecurity when it came to mated pairings. "If you must."

Elena nodded. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to find the best words. "I don't suppose…I mean…is there any way to…stop, no, is there a way to break this?"

Stop? What did that mean? Pairs were either mated or not, there was no in between. She chose to ignore that portion of the question, making sure to bring it up in the discussion they would have with their mates present. "I'm sorry?" She asked. "Are you unhappy with your choice in mate?" Most vampire women would give anything to be mated to such a prominent figure. With Elijah in their lives, they'd never be left wanting for anything. As the eldest vampires in existence, he'd be able to protect them better than anyone.

"No!" Elena exclaimed, garnering looks from those around them. "Sorry," she apologized sheepishly. "It's just…this whole mating thing was never intended," she explained. "And I can't help but feel as if Elijah was robbed. He's an Original, the oldest of your kind. And I'm…not," she added weakly. "I'm human and young and not what he needs." The things that Kol had said the night she saw him at the Grill left a lasting impression on her. And after the way things went down the night of the ball, she was swiftly beginning to understand what he meant.

It didn't even take her long to mull over her response before she was making observations against Elena's points. "Perhaps you are what he needs, but you just don't know it?" Yes, at first glance, the two didn't appear to compliment each other; but what was it that was said about opposites? "As for being young and human; that will not always be the case. You learn with every experience, and you will always grow. And well, you won't always be human."

Sarah spoke with such a tone of finality, Elena sighed. "No, I suppose not," she agreed with a quiet resolve.

"You sound unhappy."

"No," and she wasn't, not really. "Resolute…I guess." Before Elijah, she'd had no desire to transition into a vampire. How her life changed so dramatically in only a matter of weeks?

The sadness that was betrayed in her voice surprised Sarah. "What did you think was going to happen, Elena? You're mated to a vampire," she reminded her. "He won't risk you aging beyond his physical appearance, and he sure as hell won't let you die." Though she supposed that death for vampires consisted of different levels, and they all varied from the way humans thought of it.

"I guess," Elena hedged. "I never thought about all it would entail, you know?" Did Sarah understand that? Just how old was Sarah, and how long had she been with Arthur? "I mean, that on some level, I know all that; but I didn't think much on it," she attempted to explain.

Sarah didn't reply. Something told her that this wouldn't be as simple as an ordinary mating. Both Elena and Elijah would have much to overcome where the other was concerned. Elena would have to learn that as the mate of an Original, she would be watched and judged all the time; and as such, she would need to be more than what most vampires were. And as for Elijah, he was going to have to make sure he kept his patience in abundance.

"Look, set up a meeting with Elijah, and we'll be ready to answer your questions."

* * *

Sitting in the café, Elena played with the straw of her iced coffee as she waited for Elijah to join her. Sarah had escorted her to small hole-in-the-wall place, far away from Pastor Young and his mysterious new friend before excusing herself. After ordering her drink, she called Elijah, asking him to meet her.

"Hey…"

She looked up from her drink and smiled at him. It wasn't very often, and it was never in front of any of their friends or family; but Elijah appeared to let his guard down. Never before had she thought she'd hear him utter the expression 'hey,' but she liked the way the word sounded. What made it even better was the way he looked at her as he said so.

"I would have ordered you something to drink, but I wasn't sure what you'd want right now," she apologized as he claimed a seat across from her in the booth.

He waved away her words. "I'm fine right now, thank you though." He looked around the quaint restaurant. "I'm glad you called, there was something that I wished to address with you."

"Oh, okay," she agreed easily. "Um, why don't you go first?" She offered, thankful that she wasn't the one to begin the conversation. She hadn't yet told him about her confession to Lucy. She could only imagine his anger when he learned that new vampires were in town, that one of them may or may not rescued her from a potentially harmful situation.

He tilted his head. "Are you sure? You were the one to call me." If she wanted to talk first, he'd have no problem. Considering the stiffness in her posture he had a feeling they were there for the same conversation.

"I'm fine."

He nodded once. "Very well then. Why didn't you mention that you'd told Lucy about us?" Elijah inquired softly. He made sure the keep a soothing tone in his voice, but from the moment he'd been told of Lucy's knowledge, he'd been weary. Whatever trust he'd placed in Lucy quickly diminished when she ended things between them. As if it wasn't enough he had to deal with Klaus and Rebekah and whatever they intended to do with the knowledge of his mating, he had to worry about Lucy's actions as well. She appeared sincere in her words that she wouldn't have done anything to harm him or Elena, but all it took was one mistake; one error in judgment...

Unable to look away from her companion, she winced. He didn't sound as angry as she'd anticipated he would be, but his calm demeanor unnerved her. "I…so much had happened the night of the ball. Honestly, I meant to mention it to you when we were alone, and then Stefan and Damon…" She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "And then it just didn't seem as important as everything else that happened that night…"

He chose not to address the fact that situations took precedence. It was an allowance he was willing to make for her, that one time. However, he needed to make sure she understood the gravity of their situation. "And what would you have done if she turned out to be less than what she is?" He asked then. "What if she used that information against you? She told her friends, what if they acted against us? If she or they are threat, they would have hours ahead of me in planning."

She shook her head. "She wouldn't have," Elena denied softly.

He simply arched an eyebrow in response. "And what makes you so sure of that?"

"Because she was your companion for ten years." Oddly, she felt peace with the knowledge. After speaking to the woman and seeing Lucy's reaction to her news; her fears had been mollified. "You never would have spent so much time with someone if they were so evil."

He was taken aback by her words. Did she not realize that he and his siblings could be considered evil, and were…by many. "You took a risk, Elena."

She nodded. "I know, but she saw the mark. If I didn't tell her anything, she wouldn't have just let it go."

He had to admit that she had a point. Lucy wouldn't have let it go so easily.

"I won't make a decision like that again without consulting you," she whispered guiltily.

He grabbed her hand from across the table and held it within his. "Please make sure that you don't. I couldn't stand to lose you, Elena." Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on the back of it. "I have every intent to save you, even if it is from yourself."

Taking a deep breath, she nodded once. "I promise, I won't do something like that again. And...uh...in the case of making decisions, I guess I should tell you that something happened today." She frowned. "Or rather, two things happened. I met one of Lucy's friends." His grip on her hand tightened on hers and he began giving her a one over. "I'm fine," she denied. "Her name's Sarah. Elijah, Lucy's friends are mated. She called them here so we could talk to them and find answers."

While he didn't underestimate just how lethal female vampires could bei, he felt better knowing that it had been the female to approach Elena, rather than her counterpart. "And you're sure that you're not hurt?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine. Actually, she pulled me out of an awkward situation."

"Did she now?"

"I ran into Pastor Young, and he had someone with him. He said he was an old friend, but I haven't met him before." While the man had been perfectly polite to her, she didn't know what to make of him. Having experienced the things that she had in the past few years, new people were never just unassuming individuals; new arrivals were usually in town for a reason. "And Sarah approached me, mentioning you and Lucy and I just...I had to get away from Pastor Young."

He filed away the information about Pastor Young's guest for a later time. "Wait, you willingly left with some random vampire?" Was she completely naïve? Where was her sense of self preservation? "Have the past couple years meant nothing to you?" She'd been taken by how many vampires? And she willingly left with one?

Elena had the grace to blush in response to his chastising words. "I took a chance, and it was stupid, but she wasn't threatening in the least." She'd felt more comfortable with Sarah than she had with the church leader and his friend. That had to mean something!

"We really need to sit down and discuss this habit you have of placing yourself in potentially harmful situations," he told her with a pointed gaze. "What of Lucy's friend? What did the two of you discuss?"

Thankful for his swift change of topic, she shook her head. "Nothing much yet. She refused to tell me much without you there."

"We could go tonight…" he offered.

Frowning, she bit on the inside of her cheek. "I made plans to have a girl's night with Bonnie and Caroline. It's the first time that we've had one that we've had in a long time that didn't involve the supernatural in some capacity or another." While she knew that her friends would understand, she didn't want to let them down. It was something they needed if they were going to truly find a way to move on from everything.

He was tempted to remind her how anxious they'd been about finding answers about their situation, but Elena appeared guilty as it was. She'd honestly missed her friends and she needed them, their support. How could he get in the way of that? They could wait a little longer, couldn't they? "Okay. We could call and schedule for tomorrow then?"

Tilting her head, she studied his face for any sign of displeasure. "Are you sure? You don't mind?"

Shaking his head, he gave her a small smile. "It's fine. I know how important your friends are to you. But tomorrow night, you're mine..."

* * *

"You look nervous…" Alaric observed as he casually leaned against the counter. From the moment she'd made plans with Bonnie and Caroline, she'd been on a constant move.

His words pulled her from her actions. Forcing herself to stop moving, she turned around and leaned against the island. She crossed her arms over her chest and cleared her throat. "I'm fine." As soon as the words were out, she turned back around and began checking all the food.

He arched a single eyebrow at him. "Yeah, you're so convincing." His eyes followed her actions and he shook his head. "What are you doing?"

"I'm making sure that everything is set," she replied. "I got everything that they like to munch on."

"Okay…"

She narrowed her eyes on him. "What?"

"I was just wondering when it was that Bonnie and Caroline began to consume so much food."

Her shoulders slumped. "You may have been right before, I might be a little bit nervous," she admitted softly. Pushing her hair behind her ears, she turned around.

"Why?" She, Caroline and Bonnie had practically been attached at the hip since he'd met them. "It's just Bonnie and Caroline."

She nodded. "I know. I guess it's just…after everything that's happened the last couple weeks. It's not like this whole situation with Elijah has been easy, you know? And I really needed someone to talk to."

Alaric frowned. "And Elijah-"

"Would have listened if I told him everything," she defended. "But Elijah is…a guy." No, he wasn't just a guy, he was a man. All man. And while that worked out well enough for them in certain situations; she couldn't talk to him the same way she could with her best friends. "And I needed my best friends. I needed someone to talk to and joke with. I needed someone who could offer me a female's perspective from a way that maybe I didn't think of."

Alaric stayed quiet, sensing that she wasn't finished.

"During the time that I needed them most, they weren't there. And not only were they not there, they were...on completely opposite sides of the issue. Instead of just being angry, Bonnie was ready to work some serious magic against Elijah's family."

"Caroline appeared to be the voice of reason the night that we got together," he offered lamely.

She nodded with a sad smile on her face. "Yes, and I appreciate that, but she still chose Bonnie over me the day I told them about Elijah." She hadn't even had a chance to mention the mating before Bonnie made her excuses with Caroline following hot on her heels.

"But they've apologized, Elena," he reminded her. He didn't pretend to understand the inner workings of a teenaged girl's mind, but he could offer her a different perspective. "And they're there for you now."

"I know. And as thankful as I am for that, I just…this is going to be the first time that I'm going to be alone with them since then. I just want everything to be perfect."

He nodded as if he understood her reasoning, though he still felt rather confused. It was apparent to him that Elena was still sore over the events that had taken place. "Why don't you tell them how you're feeling?"

"Because Bonnie apologized and we're on speaking terms again. And I don't want to lose that," she confessed. She was glad that Bonnie had apologized, even if it felt like she was walking on eggshells around the witch.

"Okay, but might I ask you a question?" He waited for her agreement before he continued. "If the situation was reversed and it was you that had done something to Bonnie and you'd apologized, would that be enough for Bonnie?"

Elena immediately shook her head. "No, it wouldn't."

"So, you'll ignore the elephant in the room because you don't want to make waves?" He asked, continuing on. "I get why you don't want to say anything, Elena. But if she's truly your best friend, she'll understand."

* * *

"When you see your sister, thank her for me," Matt muttered as he gestured to the booth that Klaus had claimed.

Elijah let out a sigh and followed the young man's movement with his eyes. After parting with Elena, he attempted to prepare himself to spend the evening in close confines with Rebekah and Klaus. He had been prepared for scathing remarks and snide comments, not a phone call to retrieve a drunken Klaus. When he located his brother, he shook his head. Despite the crowded room, Klaus had managed to run off every person that would have been near him. "How long has he been here?"

Matt shrugged. "He was here before I started my shift. I'm pretty sure he was sober-ish when I got here." He supposed that of all Elena's friends, he'd been the one that spent the least amount of time with the Originals. He didn't know Klaus; and while he didn't want to, he couldn't fairly judge the hybrid's tolerance level when it came to alcohol.

Elijah noticed the tables that littered the table top. "Sober-ish?" He repeated.

"He went from being an asshole to being a bigger asshole," Matt shrugged. "I can only assume his temperament improved with every drink."

The Original nodded easily, unable to find offense for the teenager's words. Klaus could be difficult when sober, so it would only make sense that he'd be worse when drunk.

"This is a most peculiar place…" Finn trailed off, joining Elijah and the unknown boy. "I apologize for my delayed arrival. The most peculiar woman asked me if I was looking for a good time tonight and then offered to be date for the remainder of the night for what I know to be an outrageous fee."

With words escaping him, Matt blinked at the blasé tone of the man's voice. He looked at Elijah, wondering how he would handle the revelation. If it was anyone else, he would have laughed, but seeing as it was Elena's boyfriend, he didn't want to offend him.

"Finn, meet Matt. Matt, this is my brother Finn." He watched the two shake hands in greeting. "Now, if you'll excuse us." He looked over at Klaus.

Matt pulled his hand away. "Yeah, got it. Nice meeting you, Finn."

"He seemed nice. I saw him with Rebekah the night of the ball. Is he a suitor of sorts?" Finn asked as he followed Elijah towards Klaus' table.

The eldest sibling shook his head. "I'm not sure. I stopped trying to keep up with her lovers a couple centuries ago. He is a friend of Elena's though." Without announcing himself, he directed Finn towards a chair before taking a seat himself.

"Ahh, Elijah, Finn. How nice to see you two," Klaus greeted with a dumb smile on his face. "Ladies, these are my brothers. Finn, who doesn't know much about the world around him, and Elijah, who has managed to steal the one girl who could change my world."

In extreme embarrassment, Finn cast a glance at the table across the way.

Elijah sighed. "Have you had enough yet, Nicklaus?"

"Have you?" He returned with an obvious sneer on his face.

"I am not going to discuss this with you while you are inebriated, Klaus," he sighed. Klaus as difficult enough, he didn't need the added headache of alcohol.

"When you lay with Elena, do the pair of you laugh at me? Do you look for ways to ruin my life, or is it just something you do naturally?"

"Yes, because when I take Elena in bed, the first thing we do is discuss is you." He rolled his eyes. "Ruin your life?" Elijah nearly scoffed. "I wasn't aware that your feelings for Elena were so intense."

"You know what I mean," Klaus denied, waving his arm. "You stole Tatia from me."

Widening his eyes, Finn looked towards Elijah in curiosity. "I believe, Nicklaus, that you were the one doing the stealing."

Klaus glared at him. "Potatoes, po-tah-toes," he waved away. "Why are you here anyway?"

"Because if it wasn't for Finn, you would be stuck here for the night," Elijah glowered.

He thought about mentioning the fact that he had his car keys, but decided against that. "And then there was Katarina," Klaus added turning back to their conversation.

"Yes, because you were so in love with her…" Elijah shook his head.

"How do you know I wasn't?"

"Aside from the fact that you told me. She was nothing more than a body to keep you warm at night." Shaking his head, the elder sibling pursed his lips. "Klaus, I don't really have the patience nor the inclination to deal with you right now."

"You stole Elena from me," the hybrid continued, completely ignoring his brother. "You, who more than anyone else, knew what she meant to me," the hybrid accused as turned his attention the eldest Mikaelson. "You knew what her blood meant to me." Once upon a time, Elijah had been on his side. Once upon a time, his brother helped him to come up with the greatest hoax in the supernatural world.

"Yes, I'm sorry I've interrupted your plans in creating an army of hybrids," Elijah apologized dryly. "Next time I declare a mate, I'll make sure that she is of little importance to you."

"This is not a joke, Elijah," Klaus shook his head.

"I am well aware."

"You know that I cannot harm her now. I could not even take her blood in a non-threatening manner because you've declared it so."

"Mating aside, what makes you think I'd allow you take blood from her in the first place?" Elijah asked. Even if she was still with Stefan or had moved on with Damon, he wouldn't sit idly as Klaus acted against her for his own means.

"Why do you even need hybrids?" Finn interrupted, hoping to dispel Klaus from arguing.

Klaus shrugged. "Because I don't want to be the only one of my kind. I don't want to be alone."

"You aren't alone, Nicklaus," Finn shook his head. "You never have been. You're our brother. You always have been."

* * *

"Elena, how come you didn't tell us about Elijah?" Caroline asked, breaking the silence that settled over the three. Upon their arrival, there had been stilted conversation and awkward moments. The three changed for bed before turning on a movie that they'd seen a hundred times.

Staring at the screen, Elena shook her head. She'd been expecting the question to be asked, but she still felt apprehension. "I didn't know how," she whispered. "When we were sitting down at lunch that day, I was attempting to find a way, and then Bonnie reacted the way she did."

Turning to face the human, the Bennett witch grabbed her hand. "Elena, I really am sorry about that. I was just…I didn't understand. I still don't fully understand, but…" She remembered back on her thoughts the afternoon that they'd argued. "He turned his back on us when we needed him the most. He told us one thing and then acted in another way." She knew that she wasn't the most forgiving person, but she couldn't help it. Nothing irritated her more than when someone said something but did another. "And I thought that he had seduced you in some way, and I was angry that you could be so easily swayed." She looked away from Elena, obviously still racked with guilt for her actions. "I was so wrong, but I couldn't understand. You've always been so forgiving." And she didn't just mean with Elijah, but in general. "You always seemed to give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Because we needed him," Elena denied. "It wasn't as if I was sitting around bored, looking for something to do to pass the time. When I found out what the spell you were going to use entailed, I didn't want that for you, Bonnie. Elijah was the only one strong enough that we knew that could take care of Klaus."

Bonnie nodded. "And I get that…now." She attempted to offer a smile of peace. "I just want you to know that I meant my word. I won't act against him, and I will try not to let Klaus rile me up."

Elena nodded in response. She wanted to believe Bonnie.

"Why didn't you say something since the two of you made up?" Caroline asked then. "You told Damon before us?" Telling Stefan before them, she could understand, but Damon? What was it about the Salvatore brothers that had such a hold over her?

"You two have never understood the relationship that Damon and I share," Elena denied. She ignored the simultaneous eye-rolls. "And I know you two don't particularly care for him, but he was there for me and he really stepped up. And my feelings for him changed."

Bonnie frowned at the news.

"Are you telling us that if there was no Elijah that you and Damon would have gotten together?" Caroline demanded in a hiss of displeasure.

"I don't know," Elena confessed. "I don't know what would have happened, but my feelings for him did begin to change. I…guess that I felt like I owed him answers as well as Stefan."

"But not us…" Bonnie trailed off pointedly.

"You threw a fit when I mentioned that we were even together," Elena reminded her softly. "You would have flipped your lid if I told you the extent of it." Bonnie opened her mouth, more than likely ready to refute the point. "You know I'm right, Bonnie."

She immediately closed her mouth, unable to deny her friend's point.

"And after we began speaking again, I guess I just didn't know how to approach it. I didn't know if I wanted to, if I could trust you…either of you," Elena finished. "I was afraid that I'd tell you something, and you would use it against me later."

Caroline frowned. "I wouldn't have."

Elena smiled sadly. "Maybe not on purpose," she amended. "But because you were mad at them, you came to tell me that they were plotting against me. How could I know that you wouldn't have said anything to them?"

"I said something because I realized that they were reacting for the wrong reasons," the blonde denied softly. Though she could see things from Elena's point of view.

"So, you and Elijah are mated now. What does that mean?"

"It means that I won't have the husband and two point five children I once envisioned for myself," the brunette replied. "Elijah and I are tied together, for better or worse." Out of the corner of her, she watched the way that Bonnie stiffened. "What?"

"For better or worse?" The witch repeated. "Marriage vows, really? You're tying in marriage vows to your relationship?"

Elena shrugged. "Bad analogy, but similar meaning," she bit out. "Bonnie, Elijah and I…we're forever. And I wish that I could further explain this to you, but we're still learning as we go along." All she knew was that it was forever. "This isn't just some fling. When the time comes, I will change and I will spend the rest of my existence with him, by his side."

"I bet Klaus and Rebekah just love that…" Caroline voiced with a smirk playing on her mouth. "And how did the pair take the news?"

"Elijah and Klaus fought," she admitted quietly. She hated the fact that she was the reason for their discord.

"Like they got in a fist fight?" Bonnie asked, looking for clarification. When Elena afforded her a solitary nod, she shook her head. "Don't you see how wrong this is, Elena?"

"I didn't say it was ideal," she muttered. "What do you want me to say, Bonnie? This wasn't exactly planned. The way that Elijah and I came together wasn't under the best circumstances." She knew all of that! "I feel bad that this played out the way it did, but it happened. All I can do go with it, and I could use all the support I can get."

Sensing that Elena was near tears, Bonnie moved to the couch and placed an arm around her shoulders. "I know, and I'm sorry," she apologized. "I…you have my support. I just wish that it hadn't happened like this."

Caroline moved to Elena's other side and mirrored Bonnie's actions. "And I'm with you too."

* * *

"Well, tomorrow should be fun," Finn muttered as he and Elijah helped Klaus into bed.

Klaus had fallen unconscious during their car ride home. It had taken both brothers to get him out of the backseat and up the stairs to Klaus' bedroom.

"We should have left him in the car," Elijah bit out, still annoyed with his brother's actions.

Finn quirked an eyebrow at him. "Yes, but what would you have said tomorrow when the headache and nausea set in?" When Elijah set about removing Klaus' shoes and pulling the comforter over Klaus' form, he excused himself from the room.

When he felt as if he'd settled Klaus in as well as he could, Elijah stood back and stared at his brother. "What am I to do with you, Nicklaus?" He asked into the quiet room.

Very rarely did Klaus let others see him in such a state. Even when he drank in front of others in an informal setting, he was conscious about the amount of alcohol he consumed. He never wanted to appear weak in front of anyone, his siblings included.

Staring down at the unconscious form of his brother, Elijah's thoughts swiftly moved back to another time. Instead of the seeing the grown man frozen in time, he saw the child that his brother once was. He couldn't remember the last time that he'd been able to think on Klaus with such unabashed reverence.

Once upon they'd been so close. As the eldest, he supposed that his teachings had been more thorough. And while he'd never considered himself to be Mikael's favorite child, he supposed he could understand his mother's previous observation. However, he'd never taken advantage of anything. His siblings always looked up to him, and he always did everything in his power not to disappoint them.

He felt he always had a special bond with each other his siblings in different ways. With Finn, they shared a closeness and understanding because they were so close together in age. Finn also spent a good amount of time with Mikael, and they were brought up with the same firm hand. As the youngest brother, Kol always looked to his brothers for answers and demonstrations. Yet it seemed that he looked to Elijah more often than the others. Even after their transitions in adulthood, Elijah was the only one who could sometimes reign him in. As for Rebekah, as the only female and the baby of the family, she was doted on. He spoiled her and loved her with everything he had in him.

Yet Klaus was slightly different. When Klaus came along, he'd been just old enough to really look on a baby with a sense of love and adoration. Being the eldest, he helped his mother as much as he could when it came to raising his younger siblings. Early on, he'd recognized Klaus' curiosity and open heart. He often spoke and acted without thinking, which angered Mikael to no end. By the age of seven, Klaus distinguished the regard his mother had for him compared to his siblings, and he used it to his advantage; often with complete disrespect for the family patriarch. Yet Elijah was able to see things from multiple angles; and he never held anything against his brother. Klaus grew up competing against others, but he constantly tried to show up his oldest brother. Elijah never thought anything of it and even indulged him.

He always thought that Esther coddled him, but in hindsight, he realized that was also was responsible for the way that Klaus turned out.


	16. Chapter 16

Valkyrie Beauty: Thank you. I'm glad, and hopefully you won't be disappointed with this one.

Guest: As of tonight, I just started chapter 22 and while I don't know how many more chapters I envision this being, I don't have an end in sight.

Guest: Thank you for taking the time for reading this.

Juti: Yes, Jeremy will be back in the next coming chapters. Since I tend to write ahead, I can't remember exactly which one he appears, but I want to say chapter 19 or 20.

K hime: I don't know how much alcohol it takes. I know that Damon sure likes his drinks (on the show), so more than what he can consume? Yes, the answers will come in this one. And I'm hoping it doesn't end up being anti-climatic.

Eva: Yes, it really was a stupid thing for her to do, but I hope I was able to explain why did what she did without her being too OOC. I hope he does have plenty have patience, because he's going to need it for some time to come. And thank you, I try to get all of that across without forcing it too much. And just to let you know for future chapters, the relationships are going to continue to be strained, and not even Elijah will be saved from that. I'm happy you liked the interaction between the brothers.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you.

Guest: Thank you for taking time out read this.

MysticReader99: Thank you.

Kat: Thank you.

Xpaigers91: Well, here you go...

Guest: Thank you for taking time out to drop a comment.

Author's Note: So since I write ahead of my posting schedule, I tend to forget what it is I've written until I go back to upload the new chapter and comment on any feedback left for the previous one. That being said, Elena and Elijah will be learning more about the mating. I hope I didn't add too much build up for it so that it falls short!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

* * *

Chapter 16

"Is this a solo reverence or can anyone join?" Elijah hedged carefully, coming to a stop a few feet in front of Elena.

Looking away from the space before her, his words brought her back from her thoughts. Elena met his gaze and tried to offer him a smile, but it was more miserable than anything.

He appreciated her effort to greet him, but when it came out as a grimace, he inwardly sighed. When Alaric called to tell him that Elena and Stefan had a bit of a showdown in his classroom during the lunch period, Elijah had been out of his mind in worry for her. As the rest of the school day passed, his phone was never far from him, in case Elena called needing to speak to him. However, she never did, and then he attempted to brush it off; thinking she would call to set up a time to meet with Lucy's friends. Yet she never did.

"Stefan and I got in another argument today," Elena murmured quietly. She knew that she should have left him alone, that he deserved time to let her revelation sink in, and she'd hoped that her apology wasn't far from his thoughts either. "I just can't stand the thought that he's angry with me. He's always been there for me, you know? Even when we weren't together, he was there for me. Why couldn't I do that for him? Why am I such a selfish person?"

Honestly, he didn't understand what it was that upset her so when it came to Stefan and Damon. Yes, they were angry with her, but he'd been around the three long enough to know that it wouldn't last. No, he was not that lucky. While he'd never been 'cheated on,' he'd had past relationships fall apart and he was always left with a sense of insecurity. It was the only way he could factor Stefan was feeling. Oh, he was sure that his anger towards Elena was genuine, but that he was more upset with his himself and what he thought of were drawbacks or less than desirable traits.

"I heard." When she looked at him. "Alaric called, said you took it rather hard."

"Yes, and then some," she acknowledged. "Will you join me?" If he was surprised by the invitation, he didn't let it show. Instead, he quietly claimed a seat next to her.

Keeping in mind that they were in a public park, he remained a respectable distance away from her. He was not ashamed in any way, but he also refused to treat her such a way in public that would only cause further gossip where their relationship was already concerned. While he had little care for idle chit-chat, those that wagged their tongues were the people that Elena had grown up knowing. She didn't deserve their censure.

"You aren't a selfish person, Elena. In fact, you're probably one of the most selfless beings I've ever had the honor of meeting," he denied in a soft voice. He hated that she was so upset.

"When Stefan and I met, things progressed so…naturally between us," she spoke after a moment of hesitation.

His attention didn't waver from her, but he couldn't help but wonder why that had been the first thing out of her mouth. That's what had plagued her thoughts? Stefan? Damon? All the while, he'd felt lost because he hadn't been able to improve her mood!

More than that, she hadn't enjoyed the conversation when he'd told her about Lucy, so why would she think he desired to hear about her relationship with Stefan?

Unaware of his silent musing, she continued on. "The mutual attraction we felt, our personalities, we just meshed well." It wasn't until later that she wondered if his feelings for her were brought on any residual emotions he held for Katherine. While he'd often denied it over time, it had often been a whisper in her thoughts. "I mean, obviously we had our setbacks and issues." Not only were they two different species, but they had been born in two different centuries. Their relationship was the first 'adult' relationship she'd had. And while she knew it wasn't the same for Stefan, the feelings that they'd had were so much more than anything they'd felt before. "But we were able to overcome them and we were better for it." With every situation they faced, they only grew closer. "And then this…"

He'd known the feelings between the two had been love, and at the time, he hadn't cared. It worked for him, because he knew that Stefan would have protected her until he could use her to kill Klaus. However, that time had come and gone; and just the thought of the closeness that they shared was enough to force a foreign emotion to swell within his chest. He'd felt it before where Tatia and Katherine were concerned, but never to such a degree as he felt when he thought on Elena. No, when he thought on her, he wanted her to be his and his alone; and it bothered him to know that she belonged to others before him.

Keeping his tone level so as not to upset her when she obviously needed to this off her chest, he spoke then. "You're sharing this with me, why?" Did she not understand that he didn't care to listen to her thoughts on her relationship with Stefan?

Meeting his gaze, she shook her head. "I'm trying to apologize to you."

And she was doing that by speaking of her former lover? Uh…worst apology ever.

He didn't speak the words, but she could guess by the expression on his face that he was hesitant to hear her words. However, he didn't open his mouth to discourage her, so she continued. "Unlike the way things were with Stefan, they were difficult with Damon. The first year I'd known him, he'd done so many awful things…things to my friends and to innocent people that didn't deserve it." Hell, he continued to do things to the innocent and unknowing! And he didn't care what anyone thought, letting them know it. "I used to have a backbone," she confessed with a sad smile. She knew what others thought about her, what her friends thought. They never did understand the bond she shared with Damon and Stefan. "And I used it. I wanted Damon to like me and I wanted us to be able to…get on with each other, for Stefan's sake." Even though Stefan and Damon were constantly at odds.

"What happened?" Because by the time he'd met them, Elena had obviously changed her thoughts on Damon.

"He disappointed me one too many times and when he realized that I wasn't going to get over it; he made an attempt to make up for it. He changed, or at least he did where I was concerned. My resolve began weakening." Recounting it, it sounded pathetic to her own ears. How would Elijah hear it? "He would do things that you see people do all the time and not bat an eyelash over it; but when he did it…it made him appear good, as though he was striving to stand apart, better, from others." It was the best way she could explain it. "And when he was dying from that bite…it just all came together for me. I forgave him in that one instant because I couldn't stand losing him as well as Stefan." Jenna had died, and she'd just lost her lover, she couldn't lose yet another person! "I wanted to believe in him and the way he could challenge me was refreshing." Shaking her head, she mulled over her relationships with them. "I've been friends with Matt, Caroline and Bonnie for years, but somehow; my relationships with Stefan and Damon far surpassed my friendships with them. My trust grew and I was dependent upon them." Coming to a realization then, she knew that her feelings were pitiful. "We've been through so much together and I can't stand the thought that at whatever situation we face next, they won't be at my side."

He'd often heard that brothers in arms shared a bond that was deeper than what they shared with other friends in their lives. He'd known that the friendship that the three shared was strong, but he didn't think that Elena would be so distressed. He knew that if he needed to, he'd easily be able to offer words of comfort; but he chose not to. Elena didn't need false security.

"I knew it would happen, but I didn't think it would hurt so much. And I've been trying to ignore it and be strong, but I couldn't do it anymore." At first it was easy to ignore, but when that discord grew with every passing day, it became more difficult. She hadn't wanted Elijah to know just how upset she'd really been, and so she chose not to think on it…them.

"You already are strong," he interrupted, adjusting his position. Turning into her body, his arm stretched out against the back of the bench and he pulled Elena closer. "Sometimes you seem to forget my ability to study those around me," Elijah sighed. "I know you Elena, I know the kind of person you are. I expected that you would have difficulty with this."

"But you didn't say anything…" There'd been no knowing look or even a pointed observation.

"You seemed content in ignoring it, so I was too." It sounded bad, but that was how it had been for him. "It may be hard for you believe, but I am not a fan of Damon or Stefan Salvatore," he said with a smirk.

"Who would have thought?" She asked dryly.

"No, I don't like the effect that they have on you," he admitted. "That's not to say that you need to hide your feelings for and about them from me," he added after a moment, his voice taking on a serious note. "While I don't enjoy thinking on them, I want to know everything about you." He watched as her body seemed to relax. While he knew that she wasn't feeling completely better, she was on her way. "May I ask you a question now?"

She didn't know what to expect by the neutral tone of his voice, but she nodded anyway.

"You said that with Stefan, your relationship was natural; and that with Damon, it was refreshing," he repeated.

"Yes," she admitted in a small voice.

"What about me? What is our relationship to you?"

"Infinite." She didn't even think about the word before it began forming on her tongue. Leaning over, she placed a tender kiss on his lips. "We've got that forever kind of thing going on." After her discussion with Sarah, certain things were put in perspective that she hadn't thought on before. And while she was still adjusting to the notion, the words felt right.

The annoyance that he'd experienced when hearing Elena's description of her relationships with Stefan and Damon instantly drained. "Yeah, I suppose we do." He pulled her closer for another kiss, paying no mind to the people passing them. "I've missed you today. I hate waking up in the morning alone, I believe I've grown used to sleeping with you," he confessed after breaking the kiss. Leaning his forehead against hers, he placed a sweet kiss on the tip of her nose.

Opening her eyes, she wore a teasing smile on her face. "You're only saying that because of the amazing morning sex," she teased as she tilted her face away from his.

He chuckled at her words. "This is true…" He admitted with a smirk on his face. "I am here because while we do need to make arrangements to meet with Sarah and her mate, we need to tell the others about the hunter," Elijah added softly, hating that it was he to break their sweet conversation.

She nodded. "Did you find out anything today?"

* * *

Nearly an hour later, a most awkward group of people gathered around the plush living area in the Mikaelson mansion. Klaus, Rebekah, Esther, Finn and Kol situated themselves on one side of the room. On the other side of the room, Alaric, Caroline, Bonnie and Matt stood or sat uncomfortably. In the middle, as if playing the role of representative for their respective side, Elijah and Elena stood close together.

"Thank you all for being here on such short notice," Elijah began. "I understand that you had to reschedule a few things to be here."

"Yes, though if you mentioned the company you'd invited over, I wouldn't have bothered showing up," Rebekah retorted, glaring pointedly at Elena. Her dislike for Elena had increased in ten-fold since learning about the mating.

"No one is forcing you to be here, Rebekah," Finn muttered through clenched teeth. He didn't particularly fancy spending time with her in her current mood; and he liked her attitude even less that they were entertaining.

"Fine…" In a huff, she stood up from her position, ready to stomp off.

Esther was quick to grab her arm. "Reclaim your seat, Rebekah," she ordered in a soft tone. "Elijah wouldn't have gathered us here if it was not important."

Hating that she'd been dismissed by one brother and lectured by her mother, Rebekah skulked back to her seat. Refusing to meet anyone's gaze, she attempted to gather as much composure as she could.

"Mother is right. Some information has come to light, and while I'm still trying to investigate; Elena and I thought it was important for you to know," Elijah spoke once his sister reclaimed her seat. He waited until he had everyone's attention before continuing. "As you are all aware, Damon and Stefan were attacked days ago, right on our property," he began.

"Have you found out anything?"

"Who was it?"

"If we're discussing this, shouldn't both Damon and Stefan be here?"

He chose to answer the questions in order that they were asked in. "I have discovered something and I'll go into it in a moment. As for Stefan and Damon, an invitation was extended to them to join us. Apparently, it was not important enough for them to come."

"More like they're still nursing their wounded pride," Bonnie muttered, shaking her head.

While he quite agreed, it was not the time to discuss it. "Whatever the reason, they chose not to come. In that case, they can discover this information for themselves at a later point. Yesterday, Elena ran into Pastor Young who was with a man she'd never seen."

"Said they were old friends," she shrugged. "I've never seen him before." Elena didn't mention the overall unease she felt where Pastor Young was concerned; thinking it was just her overreacting. "But it can't possibly be a coincidence that he's here and Stefan and Damon are attacked."

Elijah nodded. "Yes, and after mentioning it to me, I attempted to do a little investigating."

Kol looked from one brunette to the other. "These dramatic pauses are a little annoying," he sighed. "Whatever it is, just tell us."

Elijah bowed his head towards him. "Very well then, I think he may be a hunter."

"Are you sure?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes at the other blonde female. "No, he's not. That's why Elijah said he thinks he might be a hunter."

Caroline glared at the female Mikaelson sibling. "I mean, what makes you think he's a hunter? Did you speak to him or something?"

"I did not. I was able to see him interacting with various people through town. I suppose I could be overreacting, but I'd rather be prepared."

"Why didn't you mention anything before now?" Klaus demanded.

"And when was I supposed to tell you, Nicklaus? Last night perhaps?" He didn't say anything further, but the pointed tone in his voice spoke volumes. "I'm telling you now, so that you know to watch your backs," the eldest sibling explained as he turned to Elena's friends. "I can't say if Pastor Young is aware of my siblings, of me; but chances are, he has suspicions about you, Caroline."

She shook her head. "He hasn't even approached me in years. How could he possibly know? He hasn't hinted anything to my mother."

"And why should he?" Alaric asked. "The council was created to save the town from vampires. As far as everyone on the council is concerned, your mother is still on their side. I suppose it is that reason alone that may be keeping them from looking deeper."

"However, it may not be a bad time to speak to her about him," Elijah added. "In fact, I believe, Bonnie you may be able to get information from your mother as well."

When both girls nodded, he turned to look at his youngest brother.

"Kol, I believe that tonight may be the perfect time to speak to Dr. Fell…"

The younger man perked up. "I can do that."

Shifting uncomfortably, Alaric looked from one brother to the other. "I don't think I feel comfortable with that." His relationship with the doctor was moving slowly, and while his feelings weren't very intense, he didn't like the idea of Kol approaching her. If he was weary around Elijah, he was even more so around Kol. At least with Klaus, he knew the man's way of thinking; but he was absolutely unknowing about Kol.

"If you'd like you are more than welcome to join me," Kol offered. "Though I have to warn you, she may not be able to keep her hands off me," he added with a playful smirk.

Easily able to distinguish Alaric's growing sense of alarm, he shook his head at his brother. "Please don't antagonize our guests," he muttered.

"And what will you be doing tonight?" Esther inquired. Elijah was usually one to see a matter from beginning to end.

Elijah reached over and laced his fingers through Elena's. "We're meeting with Lucy's friends tonight…as soon as we depart from here, actually."

"Good, maybe they'll be able to tell you how to end this nonsense," Rebekah murmured standing up. "Are we done here?"

* * *

Stopping in front of the hotel room that they'd been invited to, Elijah turned to look at her. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Her eyes widened at the question. Of course she was ready! He'd known it! "Are you?" She frowned. "Second guessing this?"

Grabbing her hand, he brought it to his mouth and placed a kiss on the back of it. "Not at all," he denied easily. "I'm just worried that this may be a harmful situation that I'm leading you into."

She stopped herself from rolling her eyes. "Sarah already had the opportunity to harm me, and she didn't," Elena reminded him gently. "And I don't think her mate would either."

"Perhaps," he acceded. "But when they open the door, stay behind me until I assess that there will be no threat."

"You do realize that they can more than likely hear us, right?"

The thought had crossed his mind, but he held little care for it. "Oh, I have no doubt about it." Her safety was his first concern, and he had little care for much else at that moment.

Squeezing his hand, she leaned against him. "I know that you have trust issues, but could you just…step outside the box for like half an hour? Nothing is going to happen."

Elijah stared at her, completely surprised by her actions. If either of them were going to be harmed, it'd be her. How could she put such faith into strangers? More than that, how could she expect him to do the same? She should know him by now.

"Now that we've got that out of the way, may we meet face to face now…or should we just talk through the door?" A voice interrupted.

The pair pulled away from one another and looked towards the hotel room that Sarah and her mate Arthur were staying it. "We're good," Elena spoke before Elijah could speak up. As soon as the agreement passed her lips, the door opened and she was immediately pulled behind Elijah's form. From over his shoulder, she watched as he seemed to square off against an equally tense man.

"How do we know that we can trust you?" Elijah asked. He never pulled his gaze away from the male before him, but he was aware of everything around them.

"Because I have a mate that I couldn't imagine living without, and I would kill anyone that acted against her. And because of that, I would never inflict such a thing on a mated pair."

"Elena, it's so nice to see you again," Sarah greeted from her mate's shoulder. "Would you like to join me? They could be at this for a while."

"Elena, don't you dare move," Elijah hissed at her. "He's ready to pounce."

Shaking her head, she leaned in and placed a kiss on his shoulder. "Yeah, I would be too, if you stared at me like that," she whispered. Her words seemed to pull him from whatever mode he'd been in upon meeting Sarah's mate face to face. He relaxed his form enough to show the other male that he was no threat. In response, she watched as the other man copied the action. Slipping to the side, she squeezed past both vampires.

Sarah grabbed Elena's hands with hers and pulled her over to the couch. "I'm so glad that you two decided to stop over tonight. We'll be leaving town in a couple days, and I was hoping that we'd get the chance to speak more in depth."

Elena nodded. She had to admit, she felt a little sad that Sarah was leaving so soon. She knew that Mystic Falls wasn't exactly a stopping point for many. But she'd just found someone in a similar position to her, someone who held the answers she'd been looking for. What if there were questions she forgot to ask? She knew that she should have brought the list she'd made, the list that Elijah had gently teased her about.

"So there's something that has been on my mind since our earlier conversation. When you asked your question, you stumbled over your words," she reminded her. "You said something about stopping it? As if it is not complete yet…" Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that her observation pulled the two males away from their staring contest, drawing them into the room.

Elena nodded. "Because it isn't."

"Excuse me?" Had she heard that right? Other than her own situation, she didn't know how mating worked in general. She'd always assumed that while it could vary based on the couple, that the same order was relatively similar. "How does that happen?"

"It was never intended," Elijah answered. "When we were together the first time, it happened in the heat of the moment." He hated admitting that he'd been reckless in a moment of weakness and irrevocably changed their lives. He was the first vampire in existence, he should have known better. He should have controlled himself better.

"Intended or not," the other male began, "a part of you recognized something."

Sarah looked between her mate and the brunettes. "Elena, Elijah, I'd like you to meet my mate, Arthur," she muttered, watching as Elena nodded at him before she continued on. "So this happened…by accident?" How could Elijah allow such a thing to happen? When Arthur claimed her, it was instinctive, but she'd known what she was getting into.

Arthur shook his head. "There is no accident about it." He turned his attention more towards Elena, knowing that as a human, she needed more understanding. "When vampires couple, it is one of the times that our beasts are swimming near the surface." When she nodded, he looked at the Original. "While you didn't intend for it, your beast recognized something that you didn't."

Elijah considered the words as he peered over at Elena. He couldn't say that he was unhappy because of their situation, but he supposed that they were just going through the motions. Not to say that they didn't enjoy certain aspects… But was it true? Had his animalistic side recognized something that he'd overlooked? He tried to think back to their first encounter, any emotions that may have swelled before or after…but nothing arose. As soon as they'd fallen in bed that first time, he'd been consumed by her.

"Mating is a primal act," Sarah added with a nod. It would make sense in the way that his more animalistic side noticed while the demon that was usually in control didn't. "Although, how you stopped yourself…I don't think I could."

"As soon as I'd done it, I knew that something happened," Elijah began. "My siblings and I never really believed in the concept of mates. After living as long as we have, we never crossed it," he explained more thoroughly. "I'd never had the inclination to mark anyone before," he added. It was that thought that brought him back to himself. How Elena Gilbert had managed to pull such an action from him when he'd never felt the regard before had been enough to remove his teeth from the crook of her neck. "Regardless of how it happened, it's changed things for us."

Arthur nodded. "I suppose it would. The process may not have been completed, but it was kick-started."

Elena placed her attention on the male opposite her. "But it's not even completed. How can it be so intense?" How was it, that one tiny scar on her neck could incite such a reaction from her body?

"More than that, if this is such an anomaly, how do you have answers?" Elijah jumped in before the man could answer Elena. If he was just guessing, then they could have done that on their own…

"I have to be honest," Arthur began, "I have seen this once before, quite a while back. The vampire that sired me, he found his mate in a human as well."

"What?" Sarah asked, the shock was obvious in the tone of her voice. Why had he never said anything about it before?

"I didn't think it was something that I would have to think on again. When we were in Europe, he met her once on the street…and his world shifted. At the time, we had no idea what it meant. He would go into her dreams, but he would never approach her in waking life. Their connection only…matured and he did change her soon thereafter, thus the mating was completed swiftly." He perused the pair before him. "It wasn't until her transition that we were able to fully understand it. And while your situation slightly varies from theirs, it's there."

"Until all this happened," Elena spoke up, "I had no intention of turning. And, while I now know that my transition is a certainty, I hadn't planned on it for another year…at least." She cast a quick glance at Elijah, offering him a weak smile. They hadn't yet set a date for the occurrence, but she wanted to wait as long as she could. She wanted to wait until her body was more matured…until they appeared somewhat closer in age. Then again, she didn't think a year would cause much change in her physical attributes. And if that was the case, then her timeline would be pushed back.

"And until that happens, you two will experience this yearning. It won't stop and won't lessen; and while it may be experienced at a lesser degree, it will not go away. Not until your change, Elena."

"Lesser how?" The Original asked.

"As a human, the range of her emotions are limited," Arthur replied turning to look at Elijah. "While she may feel something akin to the desire you feel, it is not nearly as intense as anything you feel."

"But I do-"

"No one is saying otherwise, Elena," Sarah interrupted her. "No one is questioning your feelings for Elijah; but after spending time with vampires, surely you must realize that vampires experience emotions at a greater height than humans are capable of?"

Elena grudgingly nodded her head.

"And I can imagine that Elijah is constantly dealing with the desire to complete the marking," Arthur added.

Unable to deny it, Elijah looked towards Elena. "I have. There was one time in particular that I was…and I had no care about the fallout from it." While the idea hadn't stayed from his thoughts, it had been tolerable since then. But to wait a year? At least? Could he do that?

"And so you would," Arthur nodded. "Males are naturally the more dominant of our species. Your demon is urging you to complete it because it senses that it has not been done. You deny it because you are waiting for the right time, but for the demon, its instinct. He doesn't care how it's done, so long as it is."

"And why can't it be completed before my change? Why can't Elijah just bite me again and get it over with?" Why couldn't she turn having already been claimed?

"It doesn't work like that," Sarah shook her head. "When vampires mate, their venom is bonded." Appraising Elena's blank look, she began to explain further. "When it comes to sex, our demons swim near the surface. It is through our most animalistic side that venom secretes. It is that venom that jumpstarts the marking."

Elena nodded. "So…our situation aside, he could mate with me…or attempt to, but I don't have to mate with him?"

"No. Elijah…or some part of him, has laid claim on you," Arthur answered. "He can bite you and mark you as often as possible, but it wouldn't reach full maturity until you turn and do the same to him."

"So, it's not a mating mark then?" Elena pointed out, taking notice of his words. "He's only claimed me," she replied.

"Technically, yes. It is a claim," he admitted before rushing on to explain the rest. "His venom has no effect on your transition, but it does help relieve him when he feels the overwhelming urge to mark you. He has claimed you as his, so even if you were to become a vampire…no other male would be able to reverse it or cover it with their own without the punishment of death."

"And who would kill him?" Not that she was in the market for another lover…

"I would," Elijah spoke then, following Arthur's line of thinking. His eyes began darkening at the thought of someone daring to do such a thing to her. She was his, and he would happily tear out the heart of anyone who tried to take her from him. He couldn't fully explain it, but it felt…right.

"He would have every right," Arthur agreed with a nod. "Yes, it is a claim with the intent to mate you to him. I told you before that the process has already begun, and I meant it."

Okay, it was a big deal. She got it, she knew it…and she felt it. But she didn't understand it. "Okay, I have to ask…what exactly is mating? I mean, I get the whole generalization of it," she excused before continuing on. "I…I know that my feelings for him are more…intense than anything I felt for Stefan." And considering the fact that she had once been so dearly in love with him, the meaning was not lost on her. "But…really? And take Lucy as an example," she shifted in her seat. Belatedly, she realized that she sat with two people that were closer to the woman in her observation. Should she not have mentioned her? "When she first arrived, she was…eager to rekindle the relationship she shared with Elijah and then when I spoke to her about the mating, she did a one-eighty. Why?"

"We refer to them as mates, but I suppose humans liken it to the romanticism of soul mates." He gave her a second to process his comparison. "Sometimes it's an instantaneous connection. And other times, it could be two people who have known one another for years, but aren't made aware of it until their situations change. For my sire, for us," Arthur shared, "it was the former."

"Arthur is…an extension of myself," Sarah added then.

"It is respected among us, sacred," Arthur explained. "Once vampires realize that something is going on, or become aware of your situation-"

"And they will," Sarah interrupted. When she garnered a single arched eyebrow from Elijah, she shook her head. "Just by the way the two of you are around one another," she added hastily.

"If it came down to it, Elena would be killed before another male vampire touched her inappropriately," Arthur finished softly.

So did that mean that she was free from Stefan and Damon? Whether their feelings remained or not, they couldn't act on it, or if they did, it would mean death. Perking up, Elijah didn't bother to hide the self-satisfied smile that played on his lips.

"When mates are fully bonded, it changes things…amplifies them," Sarah added after a pregnant pause. Turning her attention to Elena, she offered the human a smile in hopes of finishing off their conversation in a better way than her mate had. "Elena, you and Elijah will be able to 'know' what the other is thinking. You won't be able to read his mind and there won't be any actual telepathy involved," she added. "It's more like...an inkling. With Arthur, I can sense him. When we're separated, I feel a weight in my stomach, and only when we're near one another does it disappear. If something were to happen to him, I'd be able to exist, but there would never be another person for me. I would never love another…in any capacity, and any future partners I may find would pale in comparison to him."

"Oh…" Elena trailed off, unable to say anything else. So her happiness pretty much depended upon Elijah? "What about the dreams?" When Arthur frowned at her, she hurried to explain. "You said that your sire entered her dreams, and that other than their initial meeting; that was the only way he contacted her. Are dreams always involved?"

"We didn't experience any," Sarah shook her head.

"Things will obviously be slightly different for the two of you because of your human status," Arthur supplied. "The dreams that they shared were…he would manipulate them and introduce himself into them. What dreams do you have?"

Before answering the inquiry, she turned to look at Elijah. Was he mad that she'd mentioned them? She'd obviously caused enough interest with her first question, of course he would need to know more before giving them a better answer. When her mate offered her an understanding nod, she continued on. "They're different. Instead of dreams, they almost feel like…memories. And I experience them as if they were my own, only they aren't."

Able to sense that she was more troubled than she wanted to let on, Arthur turned to Elijah for clarification.

Elijah nodded. "She has dreamt of me as a human, she tells me about conversations and situations that I have no memory of. In those dreams, she takes on a different role."

"Fascinating," Sarah murmured. "And you sure you aren't just dreaming this, Elena?" She knew that dreams were the minds way of working through making thoughts.

"We discussed that, but it feels real; so much more so than what I feel when it comes to dreams." It was apparent that both Sarah and Arthur wanted to quiz her about the dreams themselves, but they held back. She wasn't ready to divulge that much to them.

"In her dreams, she claims to be someone from my past, my betrothed. However, I have little feeling for her. And she experiences the emotions she feels in the dreams, she's even awakened sobbing because of it."

"So…it's…you've never heard of something like that?"

"I'm sorry, Elena," Arthur apologized softly. "I haven't. As I said, every situation is slightly different. Lucy has explained to us that your situation is more than just…the two of you; that your fates are entwined."

Elena shook her head. "You mean the mating?"

"No. Your lives were set on a collision course the night of Elijah's transition. Your doppelganger status has ensured that," he clarified. "Perhaps the dreams are more tied to that than anything?" He watched as Elijah and Elena turned their attention on one another.

Grabbing the small pad of paper on the table near her, Sarah scribbled down her contact information. "Here's my cell number as well as Arthur's," she explained, handing over the paper. "We will be departing with Lucy in a couple days."

"That's probably a wise idea," Elijah nodded. He wouldn't mention the hunter, just in case his instincts were off.

"If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion," Sarah began then, waiting for a nod of acknowledgement. "Lucy has made mention of your family being reunited, more specifically, she mentioned your mother." When Elijah moved to stand a little taller, she shook her head. "Please don't be angry with her. I am her closest friend, and there isn't much she doesn't tell me," she excused. "Arthur and I would never use it against you, we have no inclination to quarrel with you or your siblings," she attempted to appease. "I mention your mother because she may hold a way for you to find out the answers to your dreams."

* * *

AN: So...the answers have arrived. What did you guys think? I know that I left a couple things out, but it was intentional.


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